Why Animators Choose AI: A UTAUT Approach with Mediating Trust

Why Animators Choose AI: A UTAUT Approach with Mediating Trust | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Why Animators Choose AI: A UTAUT Approach with Mediating Trust Tongfeng Xu, Xian Zhao This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6561983/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study focuses on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within the animation industry, aiming to explore in depth the willingness of animators and animation students to adopt AI technologies, as well as the key factors driving this adoption. To achieve this, a comprehensive research model was developed and rigorously tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) based on data from 538 valid survey responses. The sample encompassed respondents of varying ages, educational backgrounds, and levels of experience, ensuring the generalizability of the findings. The results indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions all have significant positive effects on the intention to use AI technologies. Furthermore, technology trust plays a crucial mediating role in the relationship between these key predictors—performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions—and usage intention. By integrating both traditional and emerging factors, this study not only provides a solid theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the implementation of AI technologies in animation design but also offers valuable insights into the future trajectory of animation design technologies. It highlights the substantial potential and value of AI in this creative domain. Humanities/Philosophy Social science/Education Social science/Psychology Social science/Science technology and society Animation Artificial Intelligence Technology Trust Intention to Use UTAUT Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6561983","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":493021253,"identity":"2eb31e92-b29e-4917-87c2-15ae87d32e00","order_by":0,"name":"Tongfeng Xu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"School of New Media, Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tongfeng","middleName":"","lastName":"Xu","suffix":""},{"id":493021254,"identity":"c589cd7c-0368-4893-9e42-eb53fb991624","order_by":1,"name":"Xian Zhao","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACxsYHCRU2PPzyzw8+AHJ5+AhrYW42eHAmTUayISfZAKSFjbAW9jbJh22HbAwaEswkQHyCWuRnJDYbJLAd4DFgOJBW+TXHToaNgfnhoxv4fNJzEOgXnjs85oyNx27LbksGOozN2DgHn0/YG4G2SDzjsWxmSLstuY0ZqIWHTRqfFjZmxjaJBIPDPAbHGMyKJbfVE9bCw94I1JIA1HKGwYzx47bDhLVI8BwEOuxAGo/kDJ5kacZtx3nYmAn4RX5G+sOHP//Z2PNLsB/8+HNbtT0/e/PDx/i0oABmHjBJrHIQYPxBiupRMApGwSgYMQAAKURHAY+6FvAAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Rattanakosin International College of Creative Entrepreneurship, Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xian","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhao","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-30 07:08:07","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6561983/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6561983/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":95630611,"identity":"8122f1ff-3c15-4aa2-b28b-d8bc833eb09b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-11 11:24:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":652191,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"WhyAnimatorsChooseAIAUTAUTApproachwithMediatingTrust.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6561983/v1_covered_bff66757-695f-4c92-b7c1-56d2d432c438.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Why Animators Choose AI: A UTAUT Approach with Mediating Trust","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Animation, Artificial Intelligence, Technology Trust, Intention to Use, UTAUT","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6561983/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6561983/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study focuses on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within the animation industry, aiming to explore in depth the willingness of animators and animation students to adopt AI technologies, as well as the key factors driving this adoption. 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