Shopping with a Recommender AI Agent: Effects on Usability, Cognitive Effort, and Autonomy
Mayer T (2026)
Publication Language: English
Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution
Publication year: 2026
Conference Proceedings Title: Wirtschaftsinformatik Proceedings 2026
Event location: Linz
Abstract
E-commerce retailers increasingly introduce Recommender AI Agents (RAIA) to assist online shoppers in product search and selection. However, the impact of RAIA on users remains underexplored. To address this gap, I conducted a preregistered between-subjects experiment with 128 participants comparing RAIA to a traditional menu- and filter-based interface. The results show no usability advantage for RAIA, but indicate slightly lower cognitive decision effort alongside significantly reduced experienced autonomy. These findings provide initial empirical insights into the user-side implications of RAIA in e-commerce and motivate further research on their design and evaluation.
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How to cite
APA:
Mayer, T. (2026). Shopping with a Recommender AI Agent: Effects on Usability, Cognitive Effort, and Autonomy. In Wirtschaftsinformatik Proceedings 2026. Linz, AT.
MLA:
Mayer, Timo. "Shopping with a Recommender AI Agent: Effects on Usability, Cognitive Effort, and Autonomy." Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik, Linz 2026.
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