As AI floods social platforms, marketers face a trust test

The news: Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping marketing, from how content is created to how advertisers evaluate transparency and trust on digital platforms.

In an exclusive conversation with EMARKETER at Advertising Week New York, Zefr CEO Rich Raddon discussed the spread of AI on major platforms, how it can deteriorate the user experience, and where AI is headed in marketing.

Among Raddon’s key insights:

• Social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest are struggling to keep up with the influx of “AI slop,” which Raddon defined as low-quality, made-for-advertising (MFA) content that “[is] not about creating content that engages the customer, but content that’s mass-produced to drive revenue for the uploader, not value for the viewer.”
• The AI influx can be especially detrimental for Pinterest—people turn to the platform to “see things that exist in the real world,” Raddon explained. In response, users may stop using the platform as AI damages the core user experience—causing damage that trickles down to the marketers who use Pinterest to connect with audiences.
• Platforms aren’t doing enough to address AI spam—but they’re working toward stricter frameworks for addressing AI content. “Part of the problem is scale,” Raddon said. “These platforms operate at a level never seen before, [with] billions of people reached daily or monthly. That makes [combatting AI] challenging. But they know they need to do better.”

Marketers’ concerns: Raddon’s insights reflect broader marketer concerns surrounding the rise of AI. Already only 28% of consumers in the US and Western Europe trust social media platforms; marketing on platforms flooded with AI content poses additional risks to brand safety and reputation.

Combined with consumers’ lingering discomfort with AI, marketers are navigating a challenging landscape where AI is becoming integral to core marketing processes, but consumer trust is lagging.

Yes, but: Raddon still sees a positive future for AI in marketing, arguing that AI will fix, not break, elements like ad transparency.

While the ad ecosystem will inevitably “be flooded with [AI] content … AI will improve the murkiness we’ve seen in programmatic advertising,” per Raddon. With 61% of marketers already using AI for aspects of programmatic advertising like automating campaign management, the future of AI in marketing depends on how, not if, the tool is implemented.

What marketers can do: Harness AI to streamline operations, enabling more campaigns more quickly by analyzing large data sets—but do so thoughtfully—avoid using AI for entire ad creation, as consumers still respond negatively to this. Brands must operate with an eye toward maintaining trust and authenticity.

Marketers are navigating a complex ecosystem of platforms flooded with AI content, where automation can either deepen consumer engagement or erode it. As platforms scramble to filter out AI spam, brands will have a critical role to play in maintaining quality and trust. Marketers should avoid using AI to mass produce low-value content, and they should be transparent about how the technology shapes their marketing.