{"id":11087,"date":"2026-06-01T18:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T00:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/?p=11087"},"modified":"2026-06-01T18:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T00:40:13","slug":"consumers-like-ai-content-until-they-know-its-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/?p=11087","title":{"rendered":"Consumers like AI content until they know it\u2019s AI"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/analog-meets-digital-creativity-800x450.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The pressure to produce more content, faster, with fewer resources is real. And AI has been the obvious answer \u2014 74% of marketers are already deploying or testing AI-generated content, and 43% plan to increase investment this year, according to data published today by Validity.<\/p>\n<p>But here is a paradox for marketers racing to scale with AI: when consumers aren\u2019t aware that content was written by AI, they often prefer it. When they do know, they penalize the brand for it.<\/p>\n<p>A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bynder.com\/en\/blog\/bynders-human-touch-survey-uncovers-consumers-opinions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bynder<\/a> survey of 2,000 U.K. and U.S. consumers puts the contradiction in stark relief. Participants were shown two articles on the same topic \u2014 one written by ChatGPT, one by a professional copywriter. Neither was labeled. Among those who had a preference, 56% chose the AI-generated article as more engaging. The AI copy won \u2014 when it stayed anonymous.<\/p>\n<p>But when participants were told the same content was AI-generated, 52% said they felt less engaged with it. Same article. Same words. Different reaction.<\/p>\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"6a1df3f884f66\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a1df3f884f66\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"384\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97-800x384.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-409713\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n<p>\t\t<\/p><\/button><\/figure>\n<p>Validity\u2019s data, drawn from surveys of 500 U.S. marketers and 1,000 U.S. consumers, reveals a widening disconnect between how brands are using AI and how consumers are receiving it. On the consumption side, 40% of consumers say they would trust a retailer\u2019s marketing emails less if they knew they were written by AI. Only 25% said knowing an email was AI-authored would increase their trust. And 55% of consumers now make inbox decisions based on AI-generated email summaries alone \u2014 without reading the full message.<\/p>\n<p>Yet only 43% of consumers feel confident they can actually detect AI-written emails. The rest cannot reliably tell the difference, which means the trust penalty may be as much about perceptions of AI use as about reality.<\/p>\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"6a1df3f8852b9\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a1df3f8852b9\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"367\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-96-800x367.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-409712\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n<p>\t\t<\/p><\/button><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What this means for your email strategy<\/h2>\n<p>These findings point to a reality that every email marketer needs to account for: AI summaries are now functioning as a primary inbox filter for a growing share of your audience. When 55% of consumers are making decisions based on summaries alone, your email copy needs to work on two levels \u2014 for the human reading the full message and for the AI rendering a three-line version.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that writing for AI summaries is not fundamentally different from writing quality emails. Both reward clarity, front-loaded value, and specificity. The bad news is that the attribution model most teams rely on is broken. Fourteen percent of consumers have made a purchase based solely on an AI email summary \u2014 revenue came in without their opening the email, meaning no opens or clicks were tracked.<\/p>\n<p>Consider taking these steps:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Audit your subject lines and preheader text through an AI summary lens.<\/strong> Would a reader (or an AI) extract the right value proposition from the first few lines?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Review your email attribution model.<\/strong> If you are counting only opens and clicks, you are likely underreporting performance from consumers who convert after reading an AI summary.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Develop a light-touch AI disclosure policy.<\/strong> The Bynder data suggests consumers respond better to honesty than to silence.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A broader trust trend is accelerating<\/h2>\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"6a1df3f885658\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a1df3f885658\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"445\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-98-800x445.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-409714\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n<p>\t\t<\/p><\/button><\/figure>\n<p>These findings are consistent with a longer-term trend. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/insights\/research-library\/from-hype-to-habit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Capgemini<\/a>\u2018s global research, tracking consumer sentiment from 2023 to 2025, found that trust in AI-generated content has dropped from 73% to 55% in just two years \u2014 a decline across every age group, including Gen Z. And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meltwater.com\/en\/resources\/trust-in-the-age-of-generative-ai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouGov<\/a>\u2018s 2026 data found that across markets surveyed, 32% of consumers would trust a brand less if they knew its content was AI-generated, compared to just 15% who would trust it more.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/lp\/semrush-one\/en\/?utm_campaign=ic_semrush_one&amp;utm_source=searchengineland.com&amp;utm_medium=overlay&amp;onboarding=off\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"headline-responsive\">\n        Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand <span>shows up<\/span>.\n      <\/div>\n<p>\n        The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need.\n      <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n      <span>Start Free Trial<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div>\n<div>Get started with<\/div>\n<p>      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/11\/semrush-one.webp\" alt=\"Semrush One Logo\" \/>\n    <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The generational picture adds complexity. The Bynder survey found that 16-to-24-year-olds were the only age group to find the human-written article more engaging than the AI version \u2014 the reverse of the overall trend. While 71% of consumers ages 55 and older want AI-generated content disclosed, only 45% of those ages 16 to 24 feel the same way. Younger consumers are both more AI-literate and less bothered by its use \u2014 but also more likely to penalize brands for getting it wrong.<\/p>\n<p>The Bynder data also showed what consumers think of brands that use AI: 26% said the brand feels impersonal; 20% said the brand is lazy; and 18% said the brand is uncreative. Just 17% said the brand is innovative.<\/p>\n<figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"6a1df3f885add\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a1df3f885add\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"435\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-95-800x435.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-409711\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n<p>\t\t<\/p><\/button><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where the middle ground is<\/h2>\n<p>There is, however, room to navigate this without abandoning AI efficiency. When Bynder asked consumers whether they agree with the statement \u201cI don\u2019t mind if brands use AI to help write copy, as long as the piece feels like it is written by a human,\u201d 82% agreed \u2014 41% strongly. And the Validity research found that 35% of consumers said knowing an email was AI-written would make no difference to their trust, suggesting a significant segment that prioritizes outcome over origin.<\/p>\n<p>For marketers, the path forward involves balancing efficiency with trust. The AI content paradox means that efficiency and scale come with a trust tax that is activated the moment a consumer suspects AI involvement. Brands that invest in human review, transparent disclosure, and content that genuinely sounds human rather than automated are best positioned to capture the upside of AI without paying the trust penalty.<\/p>\n<p>The Validity research can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.validity.com\/resource-center\/summer-consumer-survey-audience-perceptions-of-ai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.validity.com\/resource-center\/q1-2026-marketer-survey-ai-plans-and-priorities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>. (<em>Registration required)<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/consumers-like-ai-content-until-they-know-its-ai\/\">Consumers like AI content until they know it\u2019s AI<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/\">MarTech<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The pressure to produce more content, faster, with fewer resources is real. And AI has been the obvious answer \u2014 74% of marketers are already deploying or testing AI-generated content, and 43% plan to increase investment this year, according to data published today by Validity. But here is a paradox for marketers racing to scale &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/?p=11087\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Consumers like AI content until they know it\u2019s AI&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"medium":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"medium_large":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"large":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"inspiro-featured-image":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"inspiro-loop":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"inspiro-loop@2x":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail@2x":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-masonry":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-masonry@2x":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_cinema":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_portrait":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_portrait@2x":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_square":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-97.png",0,0,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11087"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11087\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}