08/07/2026
What are your thoughts on this subject?
A growing number of consumers are skeptical of heavily AI-generated marketing.
Many associate generic AI imagery with a lack of authenticity and increasingly choose to support brands, artists, and events that invest in original, human-created creative work.
What is supported by current research is compelling:
50% of U.S. consumers say they prefer brands that do not use generative AI in consumer-facing marketing. Gartner surveyed 1,539 U.S. consumers and found that half would rather do business with brands that avoid GenAI in ads and marketing content.
https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-03-16-gartner-marketing-survey-finds-50-percent-of-consumers-prefer-brands-that-avoid-using-genai-in-consumer-facing-content0?
68% of consumers frequently wonder if online content is real, and 61% question the reliability of information they use to make everyday decisions. This growing skepticism is driving demand for authenticity.
https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-03-16-gartner-marketing-survey-finds-50-percent-of-consumers-prefer-brands-that-avoid-using-genai-in-consumer-facing-content0?
Only 7% say visible AI-generated marketing increases trust, while 31% say it actually lowers their trust in a brand.
https://www.emarketer.com/content/shoppers-aren-t-impressed-by-ai-generated-marketing
91% of consumers expect brands to disclose AI use in marketing. Transparency has become a significant expectation.
https://www.emarketer.com/content/shoppers-aren-t-impressed-by-ai-generated-marketing
Industry groups have found that younger consumers are more likely to describe AI-generated advertising as "inauthentic" or "unethical" than "creative" or "innovative."
https://www.iab.com/insights/why-young-consumers-avoid-gen-ai-ads
Brands such as Aerie and Le Creuset have even begun advertising that their campaigns are AI-free because they see authenticity as a competitive advantage
https://www.wsj.com/cmo-today/brands-adopt-no-ai-disclaimers-to-stand-out-amid-the-slop-a92352af?
