TRANSPARENCY ALWAYS WINS: A new global study finds 86% of consumers want AI-generated content disclosed

A new global report on consumer perception of AI-generated content lands at a telling moment — brands, communicators and yes, newsrooms are still figuring out where to draw the line.

Meltwater and YouGov released “Trust in the Age of Generative AI” on 21 April, drawing from nearly 10,000 respondents across seven markets. The findings are hard to dismiss: 86 percent of consumers say AI-generated content should be disclosed.

“Generative AI gives brands a powerful new way to connect with audiences, but success will depend on how transparently and thoughtfully it’s used,” said Chris Hackney, chief product officer at Meltwater. “The brands that lead with clarity and accountability have a real opportunity to build deeper trust than ever before.”

Skepticism is running high and widening. While 39 percent of respondents say they’re excited about a future with more generative AI, the majority — 51 percent — disagree. Positive sentiment toward AI in online conversations dropped from 22 percent in mid-2025 to 17 percent by February 2026, per Meltwater’s social and media analysis. Meanwhile, online mentions of AI surged 53 percent — from 10.3 million in March 2025 to 15.8 million by February 2026.

Context shapes acceptance, the report found. Audiences are more willing to accept AI-generated content in entertainment (53 percent) and advertising (47 percent). In news content, that figure collapses to just 21 percent.

One more data point worth flagging: 73 percent of respondents said they are concerned about AI-generated misinformation.

The Philippine context sharpens this further. Filipino audiences have been repeatedly burned by synthetic media — the most glaring example being a deepfake video of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in what appeared to be a compromising scene. The video circulated widely before it was debunked. Congressional hearings have since taken up AI-generated disinformation as a legislative concern.

That gap, between AI use and AI disclosure, is exactly what the report flags as the pivotal risk. “Trust is not being lost, it’s being redefined,” Hackney said.

For Andrew Farmer, global head of PR and editorial at YouGov, the calculus is straightforward. The brands and publishers that succeed in the generative era, he said, may not be the fastest adopters of AI — but those that earn and maintain the trust of the audiences they serve.