Designing AI to Foster Acceptance: Do Freedom to Choose and Social Proof Impact AI Attitudes among British and Arab populations?

Abstract

This study examines the impact of two key AI interaction modalities—freedom of choice and social proof—on public attitudes toward AI, focusing on cultural differences between UK and Arab participants. Freedom of choice refers to the option of selecting a non-AI, possibly human, alternative, while social proof refers to knowing that others have used AI without issues. Four scenarios were designed, combining the presence or absence of social proof and freedom of choice. The context used was a customer service chatbot for a telecommunications company, a familiar example to all participants. A total of 639 participants (316 British and 323 Arab) were introduced to the modalities and then the scenarios in randomized order, then asked about their reactions. Factor analysis grouped their responses into two categories: personal and social good, and risks and ethical concerns. The results indicate that both social proof and freedom of choice positively influence perceptions of the personal and social benefits of AI while reducing perceived risks and ethical concerns. When one modality was present but not the other, freedom of choice had a stronger effect on improving positive perceptions and reducing concerns than social proof. Cultural differences between Arab and UK participants were minor but present, suggesting that both groups generally respond similarly to these AI interaction modalities. The findings highlight the importance of providing a human alternative and avoiding reliance solely on social proof or similar strategies to build trust in AI.