Bot Or Not? Analyzing the Strategic Use And Impact of Ai Influencers Vs. Human Influencers in Public Relations Campaigns

Abstract

This study identifies the critical influencer attributes that drive public relations (PR) outcomes in the emerging hybrid environment where both human and artificial intelligence (AI) influencers operate. The purpose is to identify which influencer attributes (trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness, similarity, interactivity, trendiness, involvement) significantly influence key PR outcomes (trust in branded posts, brand awareness, and purchase intention). Integrating the Social Media Influencer Value (SMIV) framework with the Stimulus Organism Response (SOR) paradigm, the study employed a cross-sectional Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis using data collected from 397 active social media users in Nigeria. Findings reveal that interaction, involvement, and trendiness are the most significant predictors of brand awareness, while trustworthiness and expertise primarily drive trust in branded posts. Crucially, trust in branded posts emerged as the strongest overall predictor of purchase intention. The study concludes that PR strategists should prioritize designing or selecting influencers regardless of whether they are human or AI based on demonstrated high engagement, consistent credibility, and acute trend sensitivity to maximize communication effectiveness.