Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

From Search Engines to Conversational AI: Cross-Cultural Differences in Information-Seeking Behaviors in AI-Mediated Digital Media

Fanqi XuUniversity of Missouri-Columbia*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

With the rapid development of generative AI, the digital search space has transitioned from keyword-based search engines to conversational AI systems that generate answers. As AI systems increasingly mediate how people access and interpret information, examining their impact on users' information-seeking practices has become a significant field within digital media research. Previous research either focuses on cross-cultural differences in information-seeking behaviors within traditional search settings or considers conversational AI interactions within single cultural contexts, but not many studies have compared these two paradigms systematically or analyzed how AI mediation changes cultural differences in information behavior. In order to fill in this gap, the present paper will conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies published between 2001 and 2025 and will put forth an analytical structure composed of a three-layer model that incorporates information behavior models, cultural dimension theory and AI-mediated search structures. As the analysis shows, conversational AI changes the way people seek information by centralizing information and shifting epistemic authority to AI systems. Therefore, the cross-cultural differences that were present in queries and navigation strategies tend to surface in the way that people evaluate AI-generated responses and negotiate authority with AI systems. The study provides a conceptual basis for how cultural differences are being reshaped through AI-driven information environments and suggestions for the design and management of globally used conversational AI systems.

Keywords: AI-mediated search; information-seeking behavior; cross-cultural differences; conversational AI; algorithmic mediation
Published: April 7, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.32549
Volume: CHR Vol.103
pp. 92-101
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