Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) has fundamentally reshaped social media marketing by enabling personalized interactions, intelligent content delivery and data-driven consumer engagement. Despite the expanding use of artificial intelligence in marketing, relatively few studies have examined how AI-driven social media marketing and influencer authenticity jointly influence consumer purchase behaviour intentions through psychological mechanisms. This research investigates the effects of AI-Driven Social Media Marketing (AISMM) and Influencer Authenticity (IA) on Consumer Purchase Intention (PI), while examining the mediating role of Trust (TR) and the moderating role of Consumer Scepticism (CS). A quantitative research design was employed using survey data collected from 490 active social media users. The proposed conceptual model was evaluated by applying PLS-SEM with Smart PLS 4.0. The findings demonstrate that AI-Driven Social Media Marketing and Influencer Authenticity exert significant positive effects on both Trust and Consumer Purchase Intention. Trust significantly mediates these relationships, highlighting its pivotal role in translating AI-enabled marketing practices and authentic influencer communication into favorable purchasing intentions. However, Consumer Scepticism does not serve as a moderator in the relationship between Trust and Purchase Intention. The model exhibits satisfactory explanatory and predictive capability. This research extends the emerging literature on AI-driven consumer behavior through the integration of technological, relational and behavioral perspectives into a unified framework. The findings offer practical insights for marketers, digital platforms and influencers seeking to design trustworthy, AI-driven social media strategies that foster consumer engagement and purchase intentions in increasingly competitive digital marketplaces.
Keywords: AI-driven Social Media Marketing, Consumer Purchase Intention, Consumer Scepticism, Influencer Authenticity, PLS-SEM, Trust.