Episode 148: Paul Bannister Shares Research on How Consumers Feel About AI-Generated Content

Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi sit down with Paul Bannister of Raptive to unpack new research on how audiences respond to AI-written content, why trust changes depending on labeling and experience, and what shifting traffic patterns mean for publishers. The conversation moves from consumer behavior to the realities of the open web, the role of strong brands, and how AI tools are reshaping ad operations. Takeaways Readers trust AI content less when labeling is unclear. Suspicion of AI drops trust more than actual AI writing. People struggle to identify whether content is AI or human. Heavy AI users become highly skeptical of AI content. Traffic declines hit factual verticals harder than lifestyle. Strong brands cushion publishers from search volatility. Smaller sites dependent on SEO face the greatest risk. Reducing ad clutter can improve both outcomes and revenue. AI tools are speeding up slow ad ops and campaign setup. CTV continues to drive most of the open web growth. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 03:00 AI and Content Trust Issues 09:00 Impact of AI on Traffic and Branding 15:00 Earnings Reports and Industry News 21:00 AI in Programmatic Advertising 27:00 Challenges for Small Publishers 33:00 The Role of Human Involvement in AI Content 39:00 Future Trends in Digital Advertising Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices