A Conceptual Model of Trust, Perceived Risk, and Reliance on AI Decision Aids
Open accessAbstract
There is increasing interest in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve organizational decision-making. However, research indicates that people’s trust in and choice to rely on “AI decision aids” can be tenuous. In the present paper, we connect research on trust in AI with Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman’s (1995) model of organizational trust to elaborate a conceptual model of trust, perceived risk, and reliance on AI decision aids at work. Drawing from the trust in technology, trust in automation, and decision support systems literatures, we redefine central concepts in Mayer et al.’s (1995) model, expand the model to include new, relevant constructs (like perceived control over an AI decision aid), and refine propositions about the relationships expected in this context. The conceptual model put forward presents a framework that can help researchers studying trust in and reliance on AI decision aids develop their research models, build systematically on each other’s research, and contribute to a more cohesive understanding of the phenomenon. Our paper concludes with five next steps to take research on the topic forward.
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Trust is a central mechanism shaping behavioral reliance on algorithmic systems.
“Research on human-AI collaboration identifies trust as a central mechanism shaping behavioral reliance on algorithmic systems (Glikson and Woolley 2020;Solberg et al. 2022).”
From When Recruiters Meet Algorithms: Advice Taking and Bias in AI‐Assisted Recruitment (2026) · cites this paper as Solberg et al. 2022
Trust is a key determinant of reliance on automation.
“This finding aligns with broader literature positioning trust as a key determinant of reliance on automation (Glikson and Woolley 2020; Lee and See 2004;Solberg et al. 2022).”
From When Recruiters Meet Algorithms: Advice Taking and Bias in AI‐Assisted Recruitment (2026) · cites this paper as Solberg et al. 2022
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“Like Mayer et al. (1995), Lee and See ’ s (2004) de fi nition implies some degree of risk arising from uncertainty, and thus requiring the individual to accept vulnerability in trusting the non-human agent.”
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“We also anticipate higher perceptions of performance risk, as people could believe that relying on AI decision aids could negatively in fl uence their own performance through, for example, the loss of situational awareness of loss of important work skills (Parasuraman et al., 2000).”
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“Alternatively, it has been conducted using vignette studies where short descriptions about the AI decision aid are presented to respondents within an online survey to elicit their judgments and perceptions (e.g., Aoki, 2021; Gillath et al., 2021; H¨oddinghaus et al., 2021).”
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Psychological Traits and Appropriate Reliance: Factors Shaping Trust in AI
Küper, A., & Krämer, N. (2024) · International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2024.2348216 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Effect of Explanation Conceptualisations on Trust in AI-assisted Credibility Assessment
Pareek, S., van Berkel, N., Velloso, E., & Goncalves, J. (2024) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3686922 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
When Recruiters Meet Algorithms: Advice Taking and Bias in AI‐Assisted Recruitment
Lacroux, A., & Martin Lacroux, C. (2026) · International Journal of Selection and Assessment · doi:10.1111/ijsa.70085
- Authors
- Solberg, E., Kaarstad, M., Eitrheim, M. H. R., Bisio, R., Reegård, K., & Bloch, M.
- Affiliations
- Institute for Energy Technology (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Solberg, Elizabeth
- Venue
- Group & Organization Management
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2022-03-28
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 187-222
- ISSN
- 1059-6011 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3993
- OpenAlex
- W4220844101
- Cited by
- 102
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 32 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 1
- FWCI
- 14.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- Locations
- Group & Organization Management (publishedVersion)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Technology Adoption and User Behaviour
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Human-Automation Interaction and Safety
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › AI and HR Technologies
- Keywords
- trust in AI, risk perception, AI reliance, organizational trust, trust in technology, trust in automation, decision support system, perceived control, organizational decision-making
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