Cicco, Roberta DeElmashhara, Maher GeorgesSilva, Susana CostaHammerschmidt, Maik2026-02-032026-02-032025-10-01Cicco, R. D., Elmashhara, M. G., Silva, S. C., & Hammerschmidt, M. (2025, Oct). When sales agents aren’t human: how identity disclosure, social presence, and speciesism shape trust. Universidade Católica Portuguesa. https://doi.org/10.34632/ecc4ca0b-1ff1-432a-8d94-4f4573e39be3ecc4ca0b-1ff1-432a-8d94-4f4573e39be3http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/56912Telling customers they are interacting with an AI sales agent can reduce trust and sales, even if the bot works perfectly. Our research shows this negative effect is driven by a consumer bias called "speciesism"—a preference for humans over machines. The solution is strategic: disclose the bot's identity before the conversation begins, and design it with a high "social presence" using emojis, humor, and personalization. This approach maintains transparency while preserving customer trust and purchase intentions.engOther10.34632/ecc4ca0b-1ff1-432a-8d94-4f4573e39be3