Half of consumers prefer brands that avoid GenAI. How to use AI without losing trust

A Gartner survey of more than 1,500 US consumers found 50% would prefer to give their business to brands that don’t use generative AI in customer-facing messages, ads and content [1][2]. The same research found around six in ten frequently question whether the information they rely on is reliable, and about two-thirds often wonder whether what they see is real [1].

What Gartner recommends

• Make GenAI optional rather than forced on people [1].

• Start with clearly helpful uses, such as product search and personalisation, where the value is obvious [2].

• Label AI-driven experiences so people know when and how AI is involved [1].

A practical framework

• Behind the scenes: research, versioning, resizing, transcripts, first drafts. Low risk, high value.

• Assistive, customer-facing: search, recommendations, support. Useful if clearly labelled and easy to bypass.

• Front-of-house creative: faces, voices, testimonials and hero work. Keep this human-led, and disclose when AI plays a visible role.

The brands that do well won’t be the ones that avoid AI entirely. They’ll be the ones people trust to use it well.

Sources

1. Gartner marketing survey finds 50% of consumers prefer brands that avoid using GenAI in consumer-facing content, Gartner (March 2026)

2. Half of consumers prefer brands that don’t use generative AI, Gartner finds, Retail Dive (March 2026)

Good creative starts with a clear brand. Here’s how we explore the feel of a brand first, then design it.