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

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