Gartner: 49% of U.S. Consumers Say GenAI Reduced Content Quality

Gartner released three surveys this week at its Marketing Symposium/Xpo. One survey found that 49% of U.S. consumers agree GenAI has made the quality of content available worse.

Issues with AI Content

The March survey of U.S. consumers showed 57% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said marketing content quality was worse because of AI. Kate Muhl, VP Analyst in the Gartner Marketing practice, stated that AI-generated content is increasing volume but not necessarily value. According to Demand Gen Report, brands must become more recognizable, credible, and intentional about contexts.

Consumer Attention and Search Behavior

The same survey found 59% of U.S. consumers prefer simultaneous media activities rather than focusing on one at a time. Muhl noted consumer attention is scarce despite abundant screen time. A February survey showed 20% of U.S. consumers make more specific search inputs because of AI, 19% phrase inputs as questions more frequently, and 17% rely on AI summaries for product information.

Brand Doom Loop and Strategy

Gartner officials discussed the brand doom loop, where underinvestment in brand measurement leads to less funding. The survey found 84% of companies are stuck in this loop. Gartner predicts that by 2028 over 80% of companies will make significant changes to mission, brand, and culture due to AI. Companies with strong brand strategy are twice as likely to exceed growth goals. More than 50% of C-suite executives want their CMO to clarify the link between brand and business strategy, and 43% want a clear story about brand health and performance.

CMO Spend Shifts

The Gartner 2026 CMO Spend Survey found awareness and conversion account for nearly 63% of total media spend as CMOs shift budgets toward acquisition and digital channels. According to Demand Gen Report, labor is claiming a larger share of marketing budgets.