AI Disclosure and Trust Define Social Media in 2025

Artificial intelligence is no longer a side note in social media. In 2025, it has become the clearest dividing line between trusted brands and those audiences question. New findings from SproutSocial^[1]’s Q2 and Q3 Pulse Surveys, spanning more than 2,000 respondents in the US, UK, and Australia, underscore just how much AI shapes user expectations.

AI-generated content disclosure leads all concerns

When asked what worries them most about brand behavior on social platforms, respondents put undisclosed AI-generated content at the top of the list, ahead of data mishandling.

• Gen Z and Millennials are the most likely to rank AI disclosure as their number-one issue.
• Older generations place stronger emphasis on data privacy, but disclosure still features prominently across groups.

Human-made content holds the trust advantage

Audiences show a measurable bias toward human creators:

• 55% of consumers say they are more likely to trust brands that commit to publishing content created by people rather than AI.
• This rises to 62% among Millennials.
• Among those who identify as Liberal, 61% prefer brands that publish human-generated content.

Respondents also value attribution. Brands that credit photographers, stylists, and makers behind their posts gain credibility, reinforcing the idea that transparency is as important as output.

AI influencers remain divisive

Synthetic influencers highlight the sharpest tension between innovation and trust:

• 46% of consumers say they are not comfortable with brands using AI-generated influencers.
• 31% say their comfort depends on the campaign.
• By demographics: 28% of men say they are comfortable, versus 19% of women.; 32% of Gen Z and 33% of Millennials express comfort, compared with only 23% of Gen X.

These splits show some openness among younger audiences, but discomfort remains the dominant stance.

What the numbers mean for brands

The data suggests that AI is acceptable to audiences only under clear conditions: it must be disclosed, human creators must be acknowledged, and synthetic influencers remain a risk for brand perception. Consumers are not rejecting AI entirely; they are demanding honesty and choice.

The wider landscape in brief

Beyond AI, the same surveys report that 60% of users say social media improved their mental health in the past six months, and 76% say social influenced a purchase during that period. Younger generations also continue to see platforms as tools for financial education. But none of these figures resonate as strongly with trust as the numbers tied to AI.

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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