Exploring the Relationship Between Trust in AI Applications Across Various Domains and Life Satisfaction in South Korea

Abstract

The present research investigates the factors influencing individuals’ life satisfaction among Koreans in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), primarily focusing on overall trust in AI applications across various domains and domain-specific trust in AI applications, respectively. Specifically, we examine whether individuals’ trust in AI applications across various domains (i.e., healthcare, transportation, human resources & recruitment, legal, administrative, tax & accounting, arts, household tasks & caregiving services, and education) predict their life satisfaction in South Korea, controlling for the effects of their sociodemographic factors (i.e., gender, age, education, monthly household income, and subjective socioeconomic status) and emotions (i.e., positive and negative emotions). To answer the research question, we performed a hierarchical multiple regression analysis using Koreans who responded to the 2024 Korean National Future Perception and Values Survey conducted by the National Assembly Futures Institute (n = 16,470). The results indicate that (1) the higher individuals’ education, monthly household income, and subjective socioeconomic status, the higher their life satisfaction; (2) their positive emotion is positively associated with life satisfaction, whereas their negative emotion is negatively associated with life satisfaction; (3) their overall trust in AI applications across various domains is positively associated with life satisfaction; and (4) their domain-specific trust in AI applications in the following domains (i.e., healthcare, legal, administrative, tax, & accounting, and household tasks & caregiving services domains) is positively associated with life satisfaction. The findings provide important implications to enhance individuals’ life satisfaction in the era of AI.