Marketers Race to Scale AI While Consumers Reject Generic Content
Nearly all marketing leaders plan to increase AI spending in 2026, but a widening gap has emerged: consumers increasingly see AI-generated ads as soulless and obvious, even as marketers depend on the technology to produce more work faster.
A Canva study surveyed 1,415 marketing leaders and 3,547 consumers across seven countries. The findings reveal a fundamental tension. Marketing teams use AI to save time - 89% report saving at least four hours per week - while 70% of consumers say AI ads are "missing their soul."
The Efficiency Trap
Ninety-seven percent of marketing leaders already use AI in daily creative work. Most describe the relationship as strategic: 41% view AI as a "director" and 39% as a "collaborator" within their teams.
The speed gains are real. A quarter of leaders save a full workday weekly. Sixty-eight percent report an increase in marketing-influenced business decisions. But volume is outpacing vision.
Marketing leaders themselves acknowledge the problem. Forty-one percent say "AI slop" - generic, emotionless, obviously machine-made content - is a considerable challenge. Social media mentions of the term have increased ninefold.
What Consumers Actually Want
Consumer preferences are clear but contradictory. Sixty-eight percent don't mind AI in ads if they're helpful and relevant. Yet 78% would rather see ads made by people, even if AI could improve them. Eighty-seven percent say the best advertising still requires a human touch.
Seventy-four percent are more likely to buy from an ad created entirely by humans. Sixty-nine percent believe the future of advertising will look and feel like "the same AI-generated slop."
Personalization creates another friction point. Fifty-two percent find it invasive when an ad knows what they're about to buy before they've searched for it. Fifty-eight percent don't want brands using AI to predict their preferences.
Younger audiences show more nuance. Seventy percent of Gen Z and Millennials focus on the "vibe" of an ad rather than how it was made. Sixty-nine percent don't object to AI polish as long as real people appear in the work.
What AI Cannot Do
When asked what AI will never replicate, marketing leaders point to distinctly human capabilities. Forty-two percent cite empathy and emotional intelligence. Forty-one percent cite human imperfection that sparks originality. Another 41% cite brand intuition and creative judgment.
This shift is already reshaping creative roles. Three-quarters of leaders expect creative positions to grow in the next five years, with greater emphasis on imagination, judgment, and direction. As AI handles execution, strategy and decision-making become the focus.
Consumers Demand Transparency
Seventy percent of consumers believe it will eventually be impossible to detect AI-made ads without disclosure. Fifty-six percent expect this within two to five years.
Seventy-four percent would feel more comfortable with AI advertising if formal company policies governed its use. Eighty percent want the ability to control how personal ads become - "like a privacy slider."
Trust builds on specific actions: data protection (53% cite as critical), disclosure of AI use (52%), guarantees that AI isn't replacing jobs (39%), and the ability to opt out of AI ads (37%).
The Path Forward
Marketing leaders face a two-part challenge. First, AI investment must continue, but with intention. Teams need connected tools, better AI literacy, and systems that drive measurable efficiency rather than generic output.
Second, brands must actively protect what makes them distinctive. As AI makes production easier, differentiation depends on clarity of voice, creative judgment, and genuine understanding of the customer.
The brands that win will use AI to scale operations while staying grounded in what connects, resonates, and inspires.
For creatives navigating this tension, AI for Creatives training can help you develop skills to use these tools effectively while maintaining authentic brand voice and creative control.
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