How are marketers and online users feeling about AI?

By now, everywhere you look is AI.

The news is reporting on it. Businesses are embracing it. People are using it in their day-to-day operations.

But while the marketing cyberspace is flooded with tips and discussions on how to best use AI—there’s a lack of talk about whether we use it for the sake of using it.

…and how does everyone feel about it?

So we’ve found some data that might help you understand this at least a bit better.

First, do marketers trust AI for marketing ops?

Ads, analytics, content creation… Most marketers use some form of AI to source or generate data. 

But how reliable is that data? And do marketers trust it? 

Here’s a report that can tell us more: 

It appears that only 11% of marketing operators don’t trust AI at all. 

8% are unsure. 

That shows that only a fifth of all businesses don’t leverage AI, while everyone else does.

But there is something else to consider. Out of the rest, only 13% fully trust AI insights.

The rest? Trust AI, but either rely on human judgment, or use humans to validate AI outputs.

The Crew’s Opinion: The combination of AI and human usage still prevails and probably will for a long time. The businesses that blend efficiency with empathy will stand out.

What can you do? For brand-sensitive tasks like customer service replies, high-stakes content, or anything that touches emotion or ethics, make sure a person has a final review. 

Consumers and teams alike feel more comfortable when AI isn’t left unsupervised.

Also, use AI to assist your team, not replace it. Internally, encourage yourself and your fellow marketers to use AI, but you all should have the final say.

What are marketers worried about when it comes to AI?

Did someone say human touch?

Just as businesses trust AI the most when it’s in combination with human expertise, marketers are worried about the lack thereof:

It doesn’t seem like this is the fear of the unknown. Quite the contrary.

It seems that most people aren’t against AI in principle, but are against AI degrading the human experience. And it makes sense.

The concern about the loss of creativity and human touch (54%) and over-reliance on AI (42%) point to a shared fear. 

The fear? That brands will sacrifice warmth, creativity, and what makes them “human”—for efficiency. Seems legit.

There are also fears about data usage (40%) and lack of transparency (35%). With bias in AI-driven decision making (29%) pointing out that human validation is still necessary.

The fear of AI displacing jobs is not at the top of the list. 

Which is another signal that marketers are not seeing AI as a threat to their existence anymore. And are shifting towards finding ways to integrate it into “human work.”

What can you do: Simple. Don’t automate the magic. Keep human involvement in areas where empathy, storytelling, or creative judgment make a big difference.

How do consumers think AI should be regulated?

Let’s move on to consumers.

Knowing how online users feel about AI might help you understand how to leverage it without triggering negative emotions.

And one thing’s certain—public trust in AI isn’t keeping pace with its adoption.

Tech issue? Nah. It’s more of a trust issue.

83% of all users want to see mandatory labeling of AI-generated content. In other words, they want transparency and they want to see that you’re using it. Ethically.

Also, 80% support laws to control how their data is used to train AI. There seems to be growing discomfort with data privacy. Who benefits from this information? Who gets it? 

Finally, 77% are for banning deepfakes. This reflects fears of deception, misinformation, and reputational harm in an AI-powered media environment. 

What does it mean for marketers: Consumers are skeptical of AI. Not only about what it does, but also of how you use it. 

If you use AI carelessly, that skepticism can carry over. Be careful.

What can you do: If you’re using AI, you can disclose it. Consumers will appreciate honesty. Also, try to show how your usage of AI benefits the consumer—not just your efficiency or margins. Reassure them.

It also makes sense to try and use human storytelling wherever possible. The more AI grows, the more consumers will value authentic human voices and emotional resonance.

How much do consumers trust AI tools?

We learned that marketers don’t quite trust AI yet.

But what about consumers?

At first glance, you may think that only older generations don’t trust AI that much (35%).

But it appears that, while everyone aged 18-49 trusts AI more, that trust is still below 50%. We can still call it more of a cautious curiosity and less of a blind faith.

This means that you still have to handle AI with nuance. You can—and should—use AI, but you still have to be aware that your audience won’t trust it equally.

Even if you’re talking to the youngest generation who is more digitally native as opposed to those with generational skepticism toward rapidly evolving tech… you still need to be careful.

The Crew’s tip: Younger users might be more open to AI-powered suggestions or personalization. But as we learned previously, you still have to be transparent about it.

This means you can pair AI tools with visible human inputs: “Reviewed by our team,” or “AI-assisted, expert-approved” can ease friction and skepticism.

The older generations might look at this as a trust differentiator as well.

The future is… AI generated?

The charts so far gave us a glimpse of how both marketers and consumers feel about AI. 

But now let’s see what they think is the reality:

That’s telling. 

If 28% strongly agree that businesses that don’t adopt AI in their marketing strategy will face a competitive disadvantage and 48% somewhat agree, it shows that ¾ of all users feel that AI is inevitable.

Only 7% strongly disagree.

Key takeaway: You don’t have the luxury to treat AI as an optional thing.

Which takes us to a paradoxical situation. Skepticism towards AI coexists with an expectation that brands should still use it.

What to do: Try to find a sweet spot between the two. Embrace AI, but look to emphasize transparency and add human touch wherever possible. 

Not easy, but it’s a start.

What’s the AI pulse?

The sentiment seems clear: AI is the future, but there will always be friction. 

Why? Because marketers and consumers want efficiency, but not at the expense of losing heart.

And at the moment, it feels like the smartest brands will adopt AI wherever possible, but they will still invest in “humanizing” it whenever possible. 

Our takeaway: Use the tools, stay transparent, and never automate what makes your brand feel real.