Paper Asia | 2026
Authors: Chi V.T.M.
DOI: 10.59953/paperasia.v42i2b.1015
Journal: Paper Asia
Year: 2026
Publisher: IPMEDIA SDN BHD
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
This study addresses a critical research gap concerning why and how consumers in emerging markets, specifically Vietnam’s rapidly growing online cosmetics sector, adopt artificial intelligence (AI) as a purchase decision-support tool. While prior studies on AI adoption have largely focused on developed economies and utilitarian product categories, empirical evidence remains limited in high-involvement, trust-sensitive industries such as online cosmetics retail in Vietnam, where perceived risk, social influence, and emotional factors play a decisive role. Grounded in an integrated framework combining the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study extends existing models by incorporating psychological, social, and emotional factors and explicitly examining the mediating roles of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Data were collected from 430 consumers who frequently purchase cosmetics online in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results confirm that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness significantly mediate the relationships between psychological, social, and emotional factors and AI adoption intention, with statistically significant indirect effects and meaningful effect sizes. Among the examined determinants, perceived ease of use and social influence exert the strongest positive effects, whereas anxiety has a significant negative impact on consumers’ intention to use AI-assisted decision tools. These findings contribute to the AI adoption literature by contextualizing technology acceptance in an emerging-market, cosmetics-specific setting. Practically, the study offers actionable insights for online cosmetic retailers and platform providers, highlighting the importance of user-friendly AI interfaces, trust-enhancing features, and socially driven recommendation strategies to increase consumer engagement and adoption. © 2026, IPMEDIA SDN BHD. All rights reserved.
Artificial intelligence; Cosmetics; Intention to use; Technology Acceptance Model; Vietnam