AI-powered Ad Targeting, Cultural Norms, and Philosophical Implications: A Reactance Theory Review

Abstract

Lately, the cooperation between AI and digital advertisement has brought a significant shift in marketing in general and ad targeting in specific. By definition, AI effective advertisement targeting entails the treatment of the entire data pertaining to users in a specific content to produce an effective prediction in regard to advertisement delivery. In this paper, the field of artificial intelligence, the notion of ad targeting, cultural perspective, and philosophical analysis of psychological reactance theory are discussed. This paper finds that AI advertising has implications for consumers’ freedom and thus is best understood using reactance theory. This review aims to understand how different forms of personalized ads, due to AI influence, create reactance, and this in the different cultural regions. Furthermore, the concept of freedom, autonomy, and privacy is conceptualized philosophically for the purpose of analyzing the general impacts of AI in the context of advertising. Last, we cover how it is possible to lessen a response of reactance while at the same time acknowledging cultural differences as well as individuals’ rights to personal decision-making.