Empowerment or depletion? Unpacking the asymmetrical pathways from perceived autonomy to human–AI trust

As intelligent systems become decision-support tools in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, establishing human–AI trust is critical. However, in engineering consulting, the psychological mechanisms underlying trust formation remain unclear. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and the Stereotype Content Model, this study utilized multi-wave survey data from Chinese engineering consulting employees to investigate these mechanisms. We examined how perceived autonomy influences human–AI trust through the competitive dual-mediation of warmth perception and competence perception, alongside the asymmetric moderating role of critical thinking. Results reveal that perceived autonomy directly enhances trust. However, social cognition acts as a competitive mechanism: autonomy positively impacts trust via warmth perception but generates a negative indirect effect via competence perception. Furthermore, critical thinking exerts an asymmetric boundary effect; it does not interfere with the intuitive warmth pathway but significantly intensifies the negative indirect effect through the competence pathway. Ultimately, these findings highlight that perceived autonomy exerts a double-edged sword effect in the context of human–AI collaboration. To mitigate professional defensive rejection and calibrate trust, AEC firms should prioritize human-in-the-loop deployment strategies, objective interface designs, and the cultivation of AI collaborative literacy.