AI-generated content is powerful and all-pervasive. However, the youth have spoken and they are not impressed, with younger consumers calling for authenticity over artifice to build brand trust.
With platforms such as ChatGPT becoming pretty much ubiquitous in the past few years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has moved swiftly from the realm of science fiction into everyday reality. It already plays a big role in the advertising industry, with estimates putting the global market revenue of AI usage in marketing at around $47 billion in 2025.
We may expect younger consumers to be attracted by the latest innovations; however, tech-savvy Gen Zs and Millennials who have grown up immersed in digital technology are only too aware of its pitfalls. These consumers are starting to question the use of AI in advertising, calling for a more authentic, human-centred approach. So, when should we be using AI, and what are the alternatives?
Balancing Data and Authenticity
AI may present a challenge for creatives, but it’s a market researcher’s dream. It is a powerful tool for brands trying to reach a market of one, allowing them to take a deep dive into market trends and user preferences, understanding individual customers’ needs and matching them with the right products. It also has consumer-facing uses, from bots addressing user complaints on airline sites to virtual influencers promoting Versace, Red Bull and Tinder. Despite this widespread use, a survey measuring consumers’ comfort with brands using AI saw a drop from 57% in 2023 to 46% in 2024 (Statista, 2025).
Luzuko Tena, IAB SA Youth Action Council Chair, who has held senior roles in social media, brand and advertising, is uniquely positioned to offer insight into this tension. “I think the next generation of marketers has two very tricky, but also exciting roles,” he says. ‘On the one side, there’s an expectation to be data-driven, to use insights, to use performance metrics and audience signals, to guide a lot of their decision-making. But, on the flipside, there’s also a need to stay really grounded and get in touch with the human side of marketing.”
The Influencer Game
If AI-generated influencers arouse suspicion in some consumers, what about real-life spokespeople? Surely the very concept of influencers, with their carefully curated feeds and perfect lives, is antithetical to authenticity? As PR and Influencer Lead at Unilever, Anele Maphanga is a fan of using influencers in marketing. She feels that an influencer is seen as being authentic when they create content with a purpose. “I think you have to stand for something, whether it’s mental health, sustainability or cultural storytelling. Who are you beyond the product partnerships?” The kind of content that allows the consumer to see into the influencer’s life while making the consumer feel seen is a winning formula for Maphanga.
Lineo Msimka, Marketing Trends Specialist at The Foschini Group, says that streaming is the ultimate in authentic online content. “It asks you to come as you are. It asks you to be natural.” By its very nature (generally live and without the dazzle of professional production values), it is unfiltered and real. She cites streamer Kai Cenat, who went from recording comedic videos alone in his bedroom to hosting celebrity guests and having more than 18 million followers. Imagine the power of linking your brand to a personality with that kind of reach.
Utilising influencers can add the human touch, but only if done correctly. Pierre Cassuto, Global CMO at Humanz, a collaborative creator marketing platform, says that audiences can see right through it when influencer content is scripted. Marketers shouldn’t treat influencers as machines, expecting them to toe the line and repeat the brand message word for word. Instead, they should be allowed to speak in their own voices, lending their personalities to the product.
Creating Communities
Cassuto says that consumers are also turning to social media, seeking human interaction and a sense of community. AI may provide instant access to information, but humans inspire. As he puts it: “People don’t scroll to learn what they already know; they scroll to be moved, to be surprised, to feel something real.”
So, how can you use social media to promote your brand without losing the authenticity that comes from one-on-one online interactions? Cassuto says if you’re thinking that you should create a community around your brand, you’re throwing a party that no one asked for. He explains that it’s not about bringing the consumer into your space but adding value to theirs. Brands need to tap into existing conversations and add value. They also need to understand how audiences engage with platforms and mimic that behaviour.
When is AI Alright?
Part of the appeal of using AI is that it’s simply more cost-effective in some situations. As Cassuto puts it, AI content sells faster, smarter and cheaper, and converts better than humans do. Maphanga says that using AI depends on the context. For example, the cornerstone of the Unilever Dove campaign is celebrating real beauty and real women, so they would never use AI-generated images of women; when it comes to product images, there’s no problem.
There’s no fooling younger consumers when it comes to AI, either. They can spot computer-generated content a mile away. But this doesn’t mean marketers and brands have to eliminate it to regain their trust. The solution lies not in choosing between data and storytelling, but combining them into a human-centred approach that brings authenticity that consumers can feel.
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This article is based on the IAB South Africa Insights Series webinar titled ‘We See Through the Feed: Gen Z, Influence & the Fight for Realness’, supported by Bizcommunity, Everlytic, Ornico and the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA). Insights is a webinar series focusing on innovation, technology, and trends in the digital media and marketing industries. The webinars are free to attend, with previous episodes available to IAB South Africa memberson the IAB portal. To become an IAB South Africa member, visitiabsa.net.
