As brands rush to use generative AI to make advertising faster and cheaper, new research suggests that the real risk is not obviously bad creative but work that looks good enough to approve while quietly underperforming in the market. In a study comparing AI-generated and human-made video ads from major brands, consumers struggled to tell the difference, yet the AI ads were weaker on both short-term sales potential and long-term brand equity. Leaders should therefore treat AI creative as a judgment and governance issue, not just a production tool.

Machine-generated interpretations actively shape modern brand equity. Here is how to optimize for them.

As brands rush to use generative AI to make advertising faster and cheaper, new research suggests that the real risk is not obviously bad creative but work that looks good enough…