There’s been a big increase in AI-generated content, especially in advertising, and a lot of it is getting realistic enough that people can’t always tell what’s real anymore.

That’s where things start to shift.

Because now you can have videos, images, or even people that look completely real, but aren’t. Things like deepfakes can mimic real people or real situations in a way that feels convincing at first glance.

At the same time, companies are starting to use AI more directly in their marketing. Some brands are using AI-generated models instead of real people. Others are generating entire ads using AI, or personalizing ads based on user behavior so that each person sees something slightly different.

There are clear benefits to this. It’s faster, cheaper, and often more tailored to the person seeing it. In some cases, AI-generated ads can even be more effective because they’re built around specific preferences.

But the reaction tends to change once people realize something is AI.

There’s already been noticeable backlash.

Some fashion and retail brands have been criticized for using AI models, with people saying it feels less authentic and raises concerns about replacing real creatives. Other brands have had to pull ads entirely because they felt “off” or unrealistic to viewers.

At the same time, some companies are leaning the other way and emphasizing that their content is “human-made,” which shows that authenticity itself is starting to be marketed as a feature.

So you end up with two reactions at once.

Some people see AI in marketing as efficient and innovative. Others see it as inauthentic or even misleading.

AI also makes advertising more personalized.

Instead of one message being shown to everyone, companies can tailor content to individuals based on behavior, preferences, and data. That can make ads feel more relevant, but it also raises concerns about how much influence is happening behind the scenes.

In some cases, people don’t even realize they’re being marketed to in the same way, especially when ads are embedded into content or conversations.

Once people become aware of that, it can change how they interpret what they’re seeing.

The more realistic AI becomes, the harder it is to separate what’s real from what’s generated. And because of that, people rely more on trust to decide how they feel about something.

When companies use AI in a way that feels transparent or clearly creative, people tend to accept it. But when it feels like it’s trying to pass as something real, or influence them without them realizing, the reaction is usually more negative.

So this isn’t just about AI itself.

It’s about how it changes the relationship between brands and consumers, and how quickly that relationship can shift when trust starts to feel uncertain.