Short answer
Gartner's consumer survey suggests that the perception of brands using too much AI content in marketing material is damaging trust. Consumers are not rejecting the technology outright, but they are choosing the sources they take recommendations from more carefully. The way forward for brands is not more content, but a transparent usage policy, real experience and visible expertise.
Highlights
- In Gartner's survey, 65% of respondents think brands use too much AI content in marketing materials.
- 57% of respondents say such content reduces their trust in brand messages.
- 35% of consumers consult influencers less for shopping recommendations, while 43% say they turn to real people more.
2 min readAuthor: UNIT Journal EditorEditor-in-chief: Uğur Deniz İlhan
AI has sped up content production, but consumer trust is not rising at the same pace. According to Marketing Türkiye, a Gartner survey conducted in the US shows that too much AI content reduces trust in brand messages.
What does the Gartner survey say?
The survey was conducted in May–June 2026 with 1,006 consumers in the US. 65% of respondents think brands use more AI content than they should in marketing materials, and 57% say such content reduces their trust in brand messages.
There is also a shift in shopping recommendations: 35% of consumers consult influencers less, while 43% say they turn to real people more. According to Gartner Senior Principal Analyst Emily Weiss, consumers are not rejecting the technology outright; they are choosing their information sources more carefully.
How should this finding be read?
The sample consists of US consumers, so it is not a direct result for Turkey. The report stresses that the research should be read not as a firm verdict on the future of influencer marketing, but as a call to rethink how collaborations are designed.
What should brands in Turkey do?
The steps below are interpretation, not findings of the survey. The common thread is to look at why content is credible rather than how much of it there is.
- Add an AI usage rule to influencer contracts: which content may be prepared with AI, which must rest on the creator's own experience, and how disclosure is made.
- Highlight accounts from people who have actually tried the product; require the creator to share their own usage experience and a concrete example in the brief.
- Use AI less to produce more content and more to adapt content to the relevant audience, answer customer questions and improve the experience.
- Add trust indicators to campaign reports alongside volume: the quality of comments, saves and shares, and changes in branded searches.
- Keep author and expert information visible on your website so the trust built on social media is consistent with your site content.
Frequently asked
- Does using AI content always reduce trust?
- The survey does not say that; the issue is the perception of excessive, low-effort content. Transparent use and real expertise help protect trust.
Sources
- Marketing Türkiye ·
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