When Machines Create Meaning: Investigating Authenticity And Trust In Ai-Generated Visual Marketing Among Millennials
Date Published : 16 September 2026
Contributors
Nyi Ratu Ardanita Berkati
Universitas Siliwangi
Author
Keywords
AI-generated content
authenticity
trust
brand familiarity
repurchase intention
millennial consumers.
Proceeding
Track
General Track
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Seminar and Conference on Management, Research, and Transformation (I-SMART)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
As Generative AI floods brand communication with AI-generated visuals, this study interrogates how consumers read authenticity and allocate trust to machine-made marketing, pinpointing when, why, and whom AIGC persuades or backfires. Addressing the issue, this study investigates the effect of Type of Visual Content (AI-generated vs human-generated) on perceived authenticity, trust, and repurchase intention, while brand familiarity as a moderating variable that potentially strengthens or weakens this relationship. Data were collected through an online survey targeting millennial consumers in Indonesia, a generation that occupies a critical position between digital adaptability and human-centered value orientation. Unlike digital natives, millennials have experienced both the pre-digital and AI-dominant eras, making them a highly relevant group for assessing how authenticity and trust are negotiated in technology-mediated marketing contexts. Data were analyzed using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM).The results reveal that the type of visual content significantly shapes perceptions of authenticity, which subsequently fosters trust and enhances repurchase intention. Furthermore, higher brand familiarity amplifies the positive association between content type and perceived authenticity. These findings emphasize that the success of AI-based marketing depends not only on technological innovation but also on the brand’s ability to project human sincerity and maintain relational trust. Theoritically, this study extends the concept of AI-thenticity by demonstrating that authenticity and trust as psychological mechanism linking visual content design to consumer loyalty.
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How to Cite
Nyi Ratu Ardanita Berkati, N. R. A. B. (2026). When Machines Create Meaning: Investigating Authenticity And Trust In Ai-Generated Visual Marketing Among Millennials. International Seminar and Conference on Management, Research, and Transformation (I-SMART), 1, 806-815. https://conference.unsil.ac.id/ismart/paper/view/143