Who Wants to Negotiate with a Bot? Personality and Satisfaction with AI Counterparts

Abstract: As AI agents increasingly serve as negotiation counterparts, understanding who will be satisfied versus frustrated by these interactions has critical practical implications. We propose that stable individual differences in personality and social orientation moderate the effect of counterpart type (AI vs. human) on negotiation satisfaction. Drawing on the HEXACO model and empathy research, we theorize that extraversion and empathic concern will amplify dissatisfaction with AI counterparts, as these individuals value social engagement and emotional reciprocity that AI cannot provide. Conversely, openness and conscientiousness may buffer against dissatisfaction, as individuals high in these traits may embrace novelty or appreciate AI’s efficiency. This research responds to calls for individual differences research examining trait-by-situation interactions in negotiations, extends human-AI negotiation literature by focusing on subjective experience rather than behavior, and identifies boundary conditions with implications for organizational deployment of AI negotiation systems.

Keywords: negotiation, subjective value, human-AI interaction, personality, individual differences