Artificial intelligence has significantly altered the production of visual advertising content, with AI-generated imagery becoming increasingly present in campaigns traditionally developed by human designers and photographers. As generative AI tools continue to expand within the creative industries, questions concerning authenticity, emotional response, and consumer trust have become increasingly relevant in advertising research.

This study examines how consumers evaluate AI-generated advertisements compared to human-created advertising content, focusing on the role of visual aesthetics and perceived authenticity in shaping purchase intention and brand attitudes. The research employs a mixed experimental design involving 300 Romanian participants stratified across three age groups (18–24, 25–34, 35–54, 35+) and balanced between respondents employed in art-related and non-creative professional fields. Participants were recruited from both major urban centers and smaller urban areas.

Respondents evaluated matched pairs of AI-generated and human-created advertisements produced under identical creative briefs, allowing the study to isolate the effect of perceived authorship on consumer evaluation. Exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression, and moderation analysis were used to examine the relationship between perceived authenticity, emotional engagement, and behavioral intention.

The findings indicate that AI-generated advertisements are generally perceived as visually appealing and innovative, while human-created advertisements continue to score higher in emotional impact and credibility. However, these differences are less pronounced among younger and AI-familiar participants, suggesting that increasing exposure to generative AI technologies may gradually reshape perceptions of authenticity and creative value in advertising communication.

Authors:
Stefan Anghel, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Denise Lacatus, The Faculty of Arts and Design, Romania

About the Presenter(s)
Anghel Stefan-Ionut is a Compliance Officer at Credius IFN and Associate Professor at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. His research focuses on the influence of social media on commerce.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-anghel-992735100/

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