Building relationship on social media: AI vs. human

Abstract

Organizations are adopting AI-powered technologies to communicate with stakeholders, including using AI agents to create social media content. This article summarizes the results from a study examining how agent type (human vs. AI) and communication style (conversational human vs. organizational) influence public perception and engagement on social media. The findings suggest that while human agents are more effective in making people feel heard, AI-powered agents perform equally well in fostering other relational outcomes. These insights help corporate communication professionals assess whether AI-powered agents can replace human representatives in social media communication.