Global Study: Poor-Quality AI Content Puts Brand Trust at Risk
Among the findings, more than half of marketers are concerned about ads appearing alongside low-quality AI content, while 42% of consumers say low quality AI advertising would negatively affect their opinion of a brand
NEW YORK, July 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DoubleVerify (“DV”) (NYSE: DV), the leading software platform to verify media quality, optimize ad performance and prove campaign outcomes, today released a new global study examining consumer and marketer attitudes toward AI’s growing role in content and digital advertising, from low-quality AI content and AI-generated ad creative to advertising within AI chat experiences. The report, Global Insights: Media Quality in the Age of AI, finds that consumers and marketers are responding less to the use of AI itself and more to the quality and context of how it is applied.
The findings are based on a DV-commissioned global survey of 22,000 consumers across 22 markets and 2,020 marketers and advertisers across 21 markets. Together, they offer one of the broadest global views to date of how consumers and marketers are navigating AI’s growing role in digital marketing and media.
“AI is rapidly reshaping how content is created, how consumers experience media and how advertisers reach audiences,” said Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify. “Our research confirms that AI itself is not what determines engagement. The quality of the output does. As AI becomes more deeply embedded across the digital ecosystem, the industry must ensure that innovation does not come at the expense of media quality, transparency or trust. Advertisers need the same confidence and clarity in emerging AI environments that they expect across every other digital channel.”
Consumer Acceptance of AI Comes With Conditions
Consumers are generally positive about AI’s effect on their online experiences, though sentiment varies by region. Globally, 63% say AI-powered tools such as search summaries, chatbots, creative automation and recommendations improve their online experience, compared with 50% in North America, the most cautious region measured.
At the same time, consumers respond strongly to the quality of AI-generated content. Although 56% say they cannot consistently identify AI-generated content, 42% say a brand’s use of low-quality or “uncanny” AI-created advertising would negatively affect their opinion of the brand, while 40% view polished, professional AI ads positively.
The findings suggest consumers are not rejecting AI outright; rather, their response depends on the quality and context of its use.
This extends to advertising within AI platforms. Globally, 46% view ads in AI chat platforms positively, compared with just 34% in North America. However, DV found that acceptance depends heavily on the experience. Across the scenarios tested – including ads alongside negative, sad or highly personal conversations – contextual relevance was the only one where positive sentiment outweighed negative.
AI Expands the Media Quality Challenge for Marketers
Like consumers, marketers differentiate between high- and low-quality AI content, with more than half (53%) concerned about ads appearing alongside low-quality AI content, compared with 45% for high-quality content.
As AI becomes more embedded in advertising, these concerns extend beyond where ads appear to the ads themselves. Nearly half (48%) of marketers are concerned about using AI to build ad creative, peaking at 63% in North America.
Marketers are similarly cautious about advertising within AI platforms. Half (50%) are concerned about serving ads in these environments, rising to 63% in North America. For marketers considering AI chat as an advertising channel, greater transparency and independent measurement are key considerations before investing.
AI Optimism Is Strongest in LATAM and APAC
Compared with consumers in North America, those in LATAM and APAC expressed greater enthusiasm for AI.
Sixty-nine percent of consumers in LATAM and 68% in APAC say AI-generated content has improved their online experience, while 57% and 53%, respectively, are positive about advertising within AI platforms. EMEA consumers fall in the middle, with 53% saying AI-generated content has improved their experience and 39% expressing positive sentiment toward ads in AI platforms.
Globally, across the board it’s clear that transparency and trust are crucial in a media ecosystem being transformed by AI. Last year, DV introduced DV AI Verification™, a comprehensive offering designed to help advertisers identify AI agent interactions and avoid low-quality AI-generated content, also known as AI slop, across the open web and social environments.
The full Global Insights: Media Quality in the Age of AI, North America report is available for download here. DV will also release a series of regional reports in the coming weeks, providing deeper insights into how consumer and marketer attitudes toward AI content and advertising vary across LATAM, EMEA and APAC.
About DoubleVerify
DoubleVerify (“DV”) (NYSE: DV) is the industry’s leading media effectiveness platform that leverages AI to drive superior outcomes for global brands. By creating more effective, transparent ad transactions, DV strengthens the digital advertising ecosystem, ensuring a fair value exchange between buyers and sellers of digital media. For more information about DoubleVerify, visit http://www.doubleverify.com.
Chris Harihar
646-535-9475
chris@crenshawcomm.com
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