The rise of generative AI tools like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney may be democratizing design, but it’s also triggering a credibility crisis. As audiences grow increasingly adept at spotting AI-generated art — recognizing its telltale patterns and inconsistencies — brands face a dilemma. The ease and affordability of these tools risk signaling carelessness, resource constraints, or a lack of authenticity to customers. Here’s how this shift is reshaping perceptions and what it means for brands.
Generative AI’s rapid adoption has made its output unmistakable. These platforms, trained on billions of scraped images, produce visuals with recurring stylistic hallmarks—ethereal landscapes, hyper-saturated colors, and uncanny details. Artists like Greg Rutkowski, whose classical fantasy style became a default prompt for AI users, now see their distinct aesthetics diluted by algorithmically generated imitations.
This visibility has led to a public “AI detection” literacy. Audiences notice when logos, social media graphics, or marketing materials bear the fingerprints of generative AI. Even the awareness of AI being present in a piece affects the impact of it, as shown by a 2023 study that found that artworks labeled as AI-generated are perceived as less beautiful, meaningful, and novel compared to identical works attributed to humans. Even when quality is comparable, the mere association with AI triggers skepticism.
While generative AI slashes design costs and timelines, its ubiquity risks backfiring. Brands using AI-generated visuals now confront three damaging perceptions—resource scarcity, careless execution, and inauthenticity—all amplified by emerging consumer research:
Over-reliance on AI tools can imply a lack of budget for professional designers. A 2024 study found that artworks labeled as AI-generated were perceived as 32% less creative and commanded 41% lower willingness-to-pay compared to identical works attributed to humans. This perception extends to branding: 58% of consumers associate AI-heavy design with startups or financially constrained companies, according to a Wharton School analysis. Potential customers, especially software or service customers looking down the barrel of some amount of onboarding investment, are always hesitant to commit to companies that may not be around long enough for them to realize a meaningful ROI.
Generic AI outputs signal rushed processes. Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer revealed that 53% of global consumers distrust AI’s societal impact, with distrust rising to 65% in the U.S.. When participants in a Duke University study were shown AI-generated branding materials, 67% described them as “generic” or “soulless,” even when they couldn’t distinguish them from human-made designs. The perception that your brand does not pay attention to detail can create an unnecessary negative impression in your audience that you’ll have to work to overcome.
Audiences increasingly link AI to deception. Cognizant’s 2024 survey found 42% of consumers distrust the authenticity of AI-generated videos and images, while 23% avoid websites suspected of using AI-generated content. Worse, brands risk reputational fallout: UNESCO researchers noted AI tools perpetuate stereotypes in 41% of outputs, aligning brands with harmful biases.
For example, Stability.AI’s models, trained on unlicensed artwork, inadvertently linked users to ethical concerns. Meanwhile, tools like Poll the People report that AI-generated branding concepts score 18% lower in consumer trust metrics compared to human-led designs.
Generative AI’s role in design isn’t inherently detrimental to a brands credibility — but the risks increase sharply when brands prioritize speed over strategic creativity. Successful integration hinges on leveraging AI as a collaborator rather than a crutch, preserving the irreplaceable value of human intuition and cultural nuance.
Wharton School researchers identified a branding dichotomy: AI-heavy visuals score higher in perceived technical competence but 18% lower in "emotional warmth" compared to human-crafted work. This gap explains why campaigns like Apple’s "Shot on iPhone" (human-centric) outperform AI-generated rivals in memorability metrics.
Brands like Adobe now watermark human-made content via the Content Authenticity Initiative, addressing consumer skepticism. A 2025 Edelman survey found 68% of audiences trust brands more when they disclose AI’s role in creative processes.
Generative AI is reshaping design, but its overuse risks making brands appear interchangeable, generic, or untrustworthy. While these tools can augment creativity, relying on them exclusively sends a clear message: that a brand prioritizes cost-cutting over craftsmanship. In an era where 66% of audiences state a preference for human-made art, investing in human creatives isn’t just about quality—it’s a strategic commitment to credibility.
The future belongs to brands that harness AI’s efficiency without erasing the human touch. After all, trust is the ultimate currency—and no algorithm can replicate it. To learn more about how Salted Stone utilizes AI in our work, feel free to read our current AI position statement, written by Executive Regional Director Brandon Jones.
Interested in thoughtfully integrating AI tools into your next creative project? Drop us a line.
Research for the data points in this blog post was conducted with support from AI tools including Perplexity.AI