AI assistants offer challenging choice: Japanese consumers value transparency over performance and sustainability

Osaka, Japan – As AI technology becomes a ubiquitous part of daily life, from home automation to personal assistants, concerns have emerged regarding the ethical issues of AI systems. These concerns include transparency in how AI makes decisions and the environmental impact of operating these technologies, especially given the high energy consumption of AI systems.

“AI assistants are helpful, but their lack of transparency and growing energy demands present serious ethical concerns,” said lead researcher Tomohiro Ioku from Osaka University’s Center for International Education and Exchange. “We wanted to understand how consumers weigh these factors when choosing which AI assistant to use.”

The research team conducted a conjoint analysis, surveying 833 Japanese adults to evaluate which features—transparency, performance, cost, and environmental sustainability—matter most when choosing AI assistants. Participants were asked to choose between various AI assistant profiles that varied in levels of transparency, user satisfaction (a measure of performance), monthly cost, and energy consumption (Fig. 1).

This study found that transparency had the greatest effect on AI assistant choice (Fig. 2). Japanese consumers preferred AI assistants that clearly explained how they made decisions and offered understandable insights into their operations, even if this meant compromising on performance. Further, Japanese consumers still prioritized performance (how well the AI meets user expectations) over environmental sustainability. This suggests that, despite increased environmental awareness, Japanese consumers are not yet ready to trade performance for sustainability. Furthermore, cost remained a critical consideration. While ethical features such as transparency and sustainability are important, Japanese consumers were more reluctant to choose AI assistants that came with a high price tag. “These results suggest that consumers are concerned with transparency and environmental impacts of AI systems to some extent,” said Ioku. “However, cost remains a strong factor, while transparency and environmental impacts are still secondary concerns for many consumers.”

This study also revealed individual differences in consumer preferences based on future orientation and locus of control (Fig. 3). Future-oriented consumers, who tended to think about long-term outcomes, prioritized sustainability, choosing AI assistants with lower energy use, compared to those with a present orientation. Moreover, individuals with an internal locus of control, who believed they had control over their own outcomes, prioritized transparency in AI assistants more than those with an external locus of control. “These results indicate that psychological traits strengthen consumer preferences,” said Ioku. “Developers would be better off considering these differences when designing AI systems to meet the diverse needs of consumers.”

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The article, “Trade-offs in AI assistant choice: Do consumers prioritize transparency and sustainability over AI assistant performance?,” was published in Big Data & Society at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517241290217

About Osaka University
Osaka University was founded in 1931 as one of the seven imperial universities of Japan and is now one of Japan's leading comprehensive universities with a broad disciplinary spectrum. This strength is coupled with a singular drive for innovation that extends throughout the scientific process, from fundamental research to the creation of applied technology with positive economic impacts. Its commitment to innovation has been recognized in Japan and around the world. Now, Osaka University is leveraging its role as a Designated National University Corporation selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to contribute to innovation for human welfare, sustainable development of society, and social transformation.
Website: https://resou.osaka-u.ac.jp/e