The old signals of authenticity are becoming easier to manufacture, and brands can build trust by revealing the vision, effort and risk behind the work.
by Nick Bondura, Neuemotion August 31 2026
With the release of every new AI tool comes the opportunity for brands to do more. But in this endless quest for optimization and productivity, there’s one element that’s starting to show up less in the creative output: fingerprints. And users, specifically on social media, are noticing.
Consumers on social media are growing harder to win over. This is part of a larger, techno-social shift I’m calling “screen suspicion” — the act of doubting the honesty, intention or verifiability of something presented through a screen. This can be driven by distrust, performativity fatigue or plain exhaustion.
That shift shows up in the numbers. Deloitte found that 70% of people familiar with or using AI say AI-generated content makes it harder to trust what they see online.
