From Mass Media and Social Media to AI: A Multilevel Framework for Understanding Trust in Generative AI

Extending diverse strands of scholarship on technology, AI, and mass/social media, we advance a multilevel framework for understanding trust in generative AI (GAI). This framework comprises three propositions: 1) trust is compartmentalized, with trust at output, agent, system, provider, and phenomenon levels anchored by distinct primary antecedents; 2) trust can spill over across levels, with trust in GAI more transferable than trust in mass/social media; 3) whether trust remains compartmentalized or spills over across levels depends on individual and contextual factors. The framework provides a theoretical foundation for future research on GAI and for designing GAI literacy interventions, systems, and policies.