A new study from OM Media Trials (Omnicom Media’s research unit) and brand safety vendor Zefr suggests the panic around ads appearing next to AI-generated content needs a little nuance. They surveyed nearly 5,000 people in the U.S. and Canada, testing reactions to ads placed after eight types of AI-generated video. The headline: some AI contexts can actually lift perception—ads following AI-generated satire, youth depictions, or artistic content made brands come off as more “refreshing” or “innovative.”
But yes, the landmines are real. In the same research, people reacted poorly when ads ran next to AI spam or misinformation about public figures—an especially uncomfortable setup for categories like financial services. And brands have already learned the hard way with their own AI creative: Valentino’s AI handbag ads got labeled “disturbing,” and McDonald’s AI Christmas ad was called “unsettling” and “creepy” by consumers.
The bigger issue is that avoiding AI entirely isn’t a strategy—Gartner projects 90% of internet content will be AI-created by 2030, and audiences can’t reliably tell what’s human anyway (32% suspected human-made content was AI). Transparency looks like one practical lever: 41% said their opinion of a brand improved when AI content was clearly labeled. As Kara Manatt, EVP of Intelligence Solutions at OM Media Trials, put it: “The solution is not to shut off an entire category of content, but to give brands the control and intelligence to align with the right AI environments, and avoid the ones that create risk.”
Read more at AdWeek.
