Consumers and AI-Generated Content in Digital Communication

Abstract - The main objective of this paper was to analyze the attitudes of Internet users towards the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in generating media and marketing content. The investigation focused on the evaluation of the quality of AI-generated content, examining whether that evaluation depends on the gender of the respondents and the frequency of their exposure to AI technologies. The research sample consisted of 1118 respondents, collected by an electronic questionnaire method. Statistical processing was done through Mann-Whitney U test and moderated ordinal regression (PLUM). Emphasis was placed on the objectivity of the analysis, which is common with online questionnaires. The results define that the gender of the respondents does not have a statistically significant effect on the evaluation of the content generated through AI. On the other hand, frequency of contact with AI was defined as a significant predictor of more positive evaluation of AI-generated content. For practitioners, this implies the need to open a public debate on how AI influences the perception of reality and what tools can help to better distinguish between human and machine content. The investigation highlights the acute need to educate users about the use and transparency of AI, the results of the investigation have the potential to contribute to a better understanding of users' attitudes when incorporating AI into processes in marketing and media communications. The originality of the paper lies in the combination of quantitative analysis with the current social debate on AI. Key Words: Artificial intelligence, AI, media communication, marketing communication, content quality, consumer attitudes, frequency of contact with AI