By Inbar Yagur, Fractional CMO, G-CMO Europe

What’s Changing?

Younger audiences are more AI-dependant, but also more AI-Savvy.
Recent studies show that Gen Z and Gen Alpha, though they use AI quite a bit, don’t actually trust it.
Moreover, sentiment for AI-generated content is increasingly souring amongst younger audiences.

I first noticed this when my 12-year-old started calling out things that were generically bad as “it’s giving AI-generated” (even if it isn’t AI-generated, mind you). Or saying that people who come across as fake are “NPCs”. Or casually saying “AI lies”.
I’d like to say that this is because I’ve done a lot of digital literacy education with her, but I think that, like most preteen opinions, it has nothing to do with her parents.

Anti-AI sentiment has been expanding, with more and more people feeling like AI doesn’t have a place in creative spaces, fewer people trusting AI search results, and purchase intent lowering when ads disclose AI usage.

This holiday season was full of people calling out clearly AI-generated ads as especially bad and inauthentic. That terrible holiday Coca-Cola ad probably got the most views on TikTok videos openly mocking it.

Why is This?

As AI becomes more and more accessible, so does the prevalence of “AI Slop” (have you seen Shrimp Jesus?).
And tech-native people who are chronically online (i.e., Gen Z and Gen Alpha) are starting to take notice.
They’re seeking out authenticity actively and starting to call out the questionable practices that LLMs use when it comes to training on others’ intellectual property.
Regulation is starting to catch up (barely) with some of this, but consumer sentiment tends to come a bit earlier than government action. Ok, a lot earlier.

Why it Hits Home?

AI isn’t a fad. It’s being adopted far and wide across all sectors and generations. AI search results are not going anywhere. Chat GPT isn’t going anywhere.
But neither is the need for human connection. That’s always going to be there.
Just because you can use AI to drive all of your marketing doesn’t mean you should. And if you deploy AI in your marketing or in your creative, you should be doing it thoughtfully and critically.
AI should be used like Engineers use calculators. It’s a tool in a toolbox. The understanding and experience still need to be there.

What to Do:

Start with something simple: remember that humans are on the other end of your marketing efforts. And they crave authenticity and value.
Chat GPT’s first draft shouldn’t be your final one. You need to be sharp in how you deploy AI tools and savvy in how you prompt them, to make sure that you’re not just creating another piece of junk.

In other words, be the quality control you want to see in the world. Shrimp Jesus may get you some clicks. But it won’t help you gain trust.

About the Author: Inbar Yagur is an expert in messaging, positioning, content, and go-to-market strategy for global startup.