Understanding Consumer Trust in Artificial IntelligencePowered Customer Support Services: Evidence from an Emerging Indian Urban Economy

The increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed customer service operations across industries by enabling organizations to provide faster, more efficient, and personalized support through chatbots, virtual assistants, and automated service systems. Despite the growing use of AI-based customer support services, consumer trust remains a critical factor influencing their acceptance and continued usage. The present study investigates consumer trust in AI-based customer support services in Surat City and examines the influence of reliability, accuracy, privacy and security, transparency, and trust on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The study adopts a quantitative research approach using a structured questionnaire administered to 100 respondents who have experience using AI-based customer support services. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and hypothesis testing. The reliability analysis revealed excellent internal consistency of the measurement instrument (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.991). The findings indicate that perceived reliability (r = 0.495, p < 0.001), perceived accuracy (r = 0.520, p < 0.001), perceived privacy and security (r = 0.470, p < 0.001), and perceived transparency (r = 0.282, p = 0.004) significantly influence consumer trust in AI-based customer support services. Furthermore, consumer trust was found to positively influence customer satisfaction (r = 0.472, p < 0.001) and future usage intention (r = 0.375, p < 0.001), while customer satisfaction significantly influenced recommendation intention (r = 0.459, p < 0.001). However, technical errors, lack of human empathy, and privacy concerns did not show a statistically significant impact on consumer trust. The study concludes that reliability, accuracy, privacy protection, and transparency are essential determinants of consumer trust in AI-based customer support services. The findings provide valuable theoretical and managerial insights for organizations seeking to enhance customer trust and improve the effectiveness of AI-driven customer service systems. The study also contributes to the limited empirical literature on AI-enabled customer support services in emerging Indian cities.