Bootstrap analysis of mediating effects.

Live-streaming e-commerce for agricultural product has become a new exploration in rural revitalization and digital commerce in China, with AI-driven virtual streamers emerging as a new trend in this field. Focusing on the context of virtual streamers marketing, this study constructs a relationship model between virtual streamers characteristics and consumers’ purchase intention for agricultural products, using human-machine trust as a moderating variable and communication presence and emotional presence as mediating variables. The results show that the affinity, anthropomorphism, professionalism, and responsiveness of virtual streamers can positively influence consumers’ purchase intention for agricultural products through the mediating effects of communication presence and emotional presence.Both communication presence and emotional presence positively affect consumers’ purchase intention. Additionally, human-machine trust plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between virtual streamers characteristics and social presence. This study provides insights for the development of virtual streamers in the agricultural industry and offers practical and effective pathways to enhance the quality and efficiency of live-streaming e-commerce for agricultural products.