Human– <scp>AI</scp> partnerships: Living and working with <scp>AI</scp> Assistants, <scp>AI</scp> Agents, and <scp>AI</scp> Companions

Abstract As the use of interactive artificial intelligence (AI) expands exponentially, it will permeate into many aspects of consumers' lives, including decision‐making and consumption. As marketers, it is important to understand how consumers currently use interactive AI and how this usage will evolve. We propose that the increased functionality of interactive AI will encourage consumers to view many interactive AI products as long‐term partners, instead of as static tools for finite tasks. Consequently, the future uses of interactive AI will be determined not only by the advancement of the underlying technology but also by consumer responses to repeated interactions with AI technology. We propose a taxonomy of human–AI partnerships (i.e., AI Assistants, AI Agents, AI Companions), provide a profile for each type of AI partner, anticipate how AI partnerships will evolve over time, and discuss how this evolution will influence AI usage. Finally, we provide an extensive agenda for future research.