Consumers Accept AI Ads Only With Human Touch, Canva Report Finds

Consumers are giving mixed signals about AI content in marketing. People like ads and content that feel useful and relevant, but many are still turned off by marketing that comes across as robotic, emotionally empty, or a little too invasive.

Detection of AI-Generated Content

Seventy percent of consumers said they can usually spot an AI-generated ad because it feels like it is missing its soul, according to Canva’s “The state of marketing and AI 2026” report cited by MarTech. Another 69% worry the future of advertising will become a sea of AI-generated slop, and 65% said AI ads are so obvious it is laughable. More than half of respondents said they are annoyed by AI-generated social posts, machine-personalized emails, computer-generated product photos, AI voiceovers, and AI-written articles.

Influence on Purchase Behavior

Seventy-four percent of consumers said they are more likely to buy from an ad they believe was created entirely by humans, and 87% said the best advertising still needs a human touch, according to the same Canva report. The report warns that pumping out content at scale without strong creative direction could damage trust and push audiences away.

Conditions for AI Acceptance

Sixty-eight percent said they are fine with AI in advertising when it makes ads more helpful or relevant. Among Gen Z and Millennials, 70% said they care more about an ad’s overall vibe than how it was created, and 69% said they do not mind AI polish as long as real people are involved. Eighty-one percent said they value ads that help them save money, 80% prefer ads in their local language, and 77% want advertising that feels locally relevant. Sixty-five percent said they appreciate ads that show up at the right moment or in the right context.

Personalization Limits and Trust Requirements

Fifty-eight percent said they do not want companies using AI to predict what they want before they ask for it, while 52% said ads feel too personal when they seem to know what someone is about to buy before they even search for it. Fifty-three percent said protecting user data is the most important factor for trust. Another 52% want brands to disclose when AI was used, according to MarTech coverage of the Canva findings.