UPR study finds one in three consumers questions AI‑generated content

Ana Teresa Brotóns Gómez, assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras Campus and founder of the market research and strategic consulting firm CoMark

By THE STAR STAFF

A new study from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) suggests that skepticism toward artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a defining factor in how consumers interpret branded content online. 

According to the research, one out of every three consumers doubts the authenticity of AI-generated posts, a gap that sharply contrasts with reactions to human-created material.

The findings stem from a project led by Ana Teresa Brotóns Gómez, an assistant professor at UPR’s Río Piedras campus and founder of the market research and strategic consulting firm CoMark. Her team analyzed 300 original comments posted on Instagram and Facebook in response to 16 beauty-industry posts -- half AI-generated and half human-generated.

Brotóns Gómez said the results highlight a growing tension between technological capability and consumer perception.

“AI offers extraordinary possibilities to create, analyze and optimize,” she noted in written remarks. “But in marketing, it’s not enough to ask what we can do with it. We must also understand what happens in the consumer’s mind when a brand uses it.”

The study used social listening tools and sentiment analysis to examine not only engagement volume but also emotional tone, recurring themes, and signs of distrust. The contrast was stark: 32.3% of comments on AI-generated posts questioned their authenticity, compared with just 1.4% on human-created content. Researchers also observed more negative reactions to AI-produced visuals and messages.

Rather than signaling a broad rejection of AI, Brotóns Gómez said the data reveal a more nuanced divide. Consumers appear comfortable using AI to search for information, yet they become more cautious when brands rely on it to persuade.

“This gap forces companies to look beyond traditional metrics like comments or likes and to examine the quality of the conversation they generate,” she added.

The project was conducted from April to June 2026 in collaboration with Leonardo Cruz and Nashaly C. Peralta. To support the qualitative analysis, the team used an AI model designed to compare human- and machine-generated content, followed by human validation to ensure accuracy. The combination of sentiment analysis, social listening and a pilot survey helped identify patterns that could guide future marketing strategies and research.

The study arrives at a moment when brands across industries are experimenting with AI‑driven creative tools. Its findings suggest that while the technology can accelerate production, consumer trust remains a critical variable -- one that marketers will need to navigate carefully as AI becomes more embedded in digital communication.