Paper Artificial Intelligence Versus Human Fundraisers: Evidence That Narrative Perspective and Fundraiser Identity Influence Donation Intentions

The growing use of artificial intelligence in charitable fundraising raises important questions about whether established theories of human persuasion continue to apply when the communicator is an AI system. One understudied dimension of this shift concerns narrative perspective: fundraising appeals commonly employ either first-person or third-person storytelling, and these choices are known to influence donor behavior — yet how narrative perspective interacts with fundraiser identity (AI versus human) remains an open question. Drawing on narrative transportation theory, this study presents three experiments investigating how the combination of narrative perspective and fundraiser identity shapes donation intentions. The first study found that donors were more willing to give in response to first-person narratives from AI fundraisers, but third-person narratives from human fundraisers — revealing a meaningful interaction between who is telling the story and how it is told. The second study identified empathic concern as the mechanism underlying this effect: narrative perspective shapes the degree to which audiences experience empathy, which in turn drives donation intentions. The third study identified an important boundary condition — when the identity of the person seeking help is ambiguous, the differential advantages of first-person and third-person narratives disappear. Together, these findings extend narrative transportation theory into the domain of human-computer interaction and enrich understanding of how AI-mediated communication differs from human communication in prosocial contexts. The results offer actionable guidance for nonprofit organizations seeking to optimize the deployment of AI tools in fundraising, particularly in the design of donor-facing appeals.

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