Emplifi Report Finds Authenticity Drives Consumer Trust in an AI-Driven Market
Emplifi has released its “Digital Authenticity in the Age of AI” report, highlighting a clear message from consumers. Authentic brand engagement builds trust.
The study, conducted with Alchemer, surveyed more than 1,600 consumers across the United States and United Kingdom. The goal was direct. Measure how people view authenticity as AI becomes more common in marketing and customer care.
The results are hard to ignore.
Trust Is Earned—And Lost—Through Authentic Interaction
Ninety-three percent of consumers say authentic engagement increases trust. That number alone sets the tone.
Eighty-five percent say they are willing to pay more for brands they perceive as authentic.
There is a flip side. More than half of consumers say they would stop buying from a brand after an inauthentic experience. One in three would go further and leave a negative review.
This is not subtle. Trust builds revenue. A single misstep can damage it.
Brands often focus on reach and impressions. Consumers focus on credibility. Those priorities do not always align.
Where Consumers Look to Validate Authenticity
Consumers rely on external signals to verify brand claims. Search engines and user-generated content lead the list.
Sixty-six percent cite search engine results as a primary source of authenticity. This reinforces the role of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which refers to improving a website’s visibility in search results.
Sixty-three percent point to user-generated content. This includes reviews, social posts, and customer feedback.
People trust other people. That has not changed.
What has changed is scale. Reviews and social signals now reach global audiences within minutes.
AI Adoption Raises New Expectations
Consumers are not rejecting AI. They are asking for transparency.
More than 90% expect brands to disclose when AI is used in marketing. That expectation extends into customer service.
Speed also matters. Eighty-four percent of consumers say fast response times define a positive experience.
These expectations create tension. Brands want efficiency. Consumers want honesty.
Both must exist at the same time.
Customer Care Becomes a Defining Moment
Customer care interactions shape perception. A delayed response creates frustration. A generic response creates distrust.
AI systems can respond instantly. That solves one problem.
It introduces another. If the response feels scripted or impersonal, trust erodes.
Susan Ganeshan, CMO of Emplifi, points to this balance. Consumers accept AI use. They expect clarity about how it is used.
That expectation is not optional. It is baseline.
Consumer Research Behavior Reveals a Pattern
Purchase behavior varies by price point. Higher-cost decisions involve deeper research.
For products over $500, 56% of consumers visit three or more websites before buying. They compare options. They verify claims. They look for consistency.
For lower-cost purchases under $20, research often begins on marketplaces and brand websites.
The pattern is clear. The higher the risk, the more validation consumers seek.
This reinforces the importance of consistent messaging across channels.
AI Is Scaling, But Trust Must Keep Pace
AI adoption continues to grow across marketing teams. Reports show nearly half of marketers use AI for content creation.
Future projections suggest that agentic AI systems could handle up to 80% of common customer service tasks within the next few years.
This creates efficiency. It also creates distance between brands and customers.
That distance must be managed carefully.
Automation without authenticity feels hollow. Consumers notice.
A Shift That Demands Discipline From Brands
The findings point to a simple principle. Authenticity is not a campaign tactic. It is an operational standard.
Brands must align messaging, behavior, and response times. Each interaction contributes to perception.
There is no shortcut here. Consistency builds trust. Transparency maintains it.
AI can assist. It cannot replace genuine interaction.
That distinction separates brands that gain loyalty from those that lose it.
The report makes one thing clear. Consumers are paying attention. They check. They compare. They remember.
Brands that treat authenticity as optional will learn that lesson the hard way.