Publicação
Transparent but not always trusted : the impact of AI disclosure on ad credibility
| Resumo: | The increasing adoption of generative artificial intelligence in advertising has heightened debates regarding transparency and consumer trust among both regulators and industry managers. In anticipation of the forthcoming EU AI Act, which will require disclosure of AI generated content, this study examines the impact of AI disclosure in commercial advertising on perceived advertisement credibility and subsequent consumer responses. Utilizing persuasion and source credibility theory, a between-subjects experiment (N = 125) compared advertisements labeled as AI-generated with identical advertisements lacking such disclosure. The research also investigates whether perceived advertisement credibility affects brand attitude and purchase intention, and whether individual differences in AI aversion moderate the effects of disclosure. The results indicate that AI disclosure does not significantly lower perceived advertisement credibility for commercial, medium-involvement products. Perceived advertisement credibility continues to be a strong predictor of both brand attitude and purchase intention, irrespective of disclosure. Contrary to initial expectations, AI aversion does not moderate the relationship between disclosure and advertisement credibility. These findings suggest that the effects of AI disclosure are present but not significant and context-dependent, rather than universally negative. This research contributes to the literature on AI-generated advertising by offering empirical evidence from a standard commercial context prior to regulatory implementation. The findings suggest that, for managers, designing messages to enhance credibility is more critical for advertising effectiveness than the technological origin of the content. Consequently, AI disclosure should be regarded as a contextual design choice rather than an inherent risk |
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| Autores principais: | Jung, Moritz Alexander |
| Assunto: | AI disclosure Advertising credibility Brand attitude Purchase intention AI aversion Divulgação da IA Credibilidade da publicidade Atitude em relação à marca Intenção de compra (PI) Aversão à IA |
| Ano: | 2026 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Resumo: | The increasing adoption of generative artificial intelligence in advertising has heightened debates regarding transparency and consumer trust among both regulators and industry managers. In anticipation of the forthcoming EU AI Act, which will require disclosure of AI generated content, this study examines the impact of AI disclosure in commercial advertising on perceived advertisement credibility and subsequent consumer responses. Utilizing persuasion and source credibility theory, a between-subjects experiment (N = 125) compared advertisements labeled as AI-generated with identical advertisements lacking such disclosure. The research also investigates whether perceived advertisement credibility affects brand attitude and purchase intention, and whether individual differences in AI aversion moderate the effects of disclosure. The results indicate that AI disclosure does not significantly lower perceived advertisement credibility for commercial, medium-involvement products. Perceived advertisement credibility continues to be a strong predictor of both brand attitude and purchase intention, irrespective of disclosure. Contrary to initial expectations, AI aversion does not moderate the relationship between disclosure and advertisement credibility. These findings suggest that the effects of AI disclosure are present but not significant and context-dependent, rather than universally negative. This research contributes to the literature on AI-generated advertising by offering empirical evidence from a standard commercial context prior to regulatory implementation. The findings suggest that, for managers, designing messages to enhance credibility is more critical for advertising effectiveness than the technological origin of the content. Consequently, AI disclosure should be regarded as a contextual design choice rather than an inherent risk |
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