Six indicators to help consumers spot ai-generated advertising

The proliferation of AI in advertising, spanning from small local ads to major campaigns, is making it increasingly difficult for consumers to distinguish between human-created and machine-generated content. A September survey involving over 500 consumers revealed that only 17 percent could correctly identify an AI ad in a set of ten, despite half the participants feeling confident in their ability to spot it. Several visual flaws can signal AI involvement. These include product inconsistencies, such as an REI ad featuring a bicycle with an extra set of handlebars, or changes in character appearance across different shots, as seen in Coca-Cola's 2025 commercial. Furthermore, McDonald's Netherlands pulled an AI Christmas ad last year due to distorted faces, and Australian science agency noted issues like flickering eyes in synthetic people. Other telltale signs involve subtle errors like non-rotating wheels in a 2024 Coca-Cola ad, or mismatched facial expressions and voice synchronization. While newer generators are improving text and anatomy, stylistic clues persist; some ads exhibit recurring font combinations, and AI companies like Claude and Perplexity are adopting serif fonts to appear more human. Meta is rolling out an 'About this ad' section, and Pennsylvania's Artificial Intelligence Deceptive Advertising Act, effective December 21, requires disclosures for AI-altered content that misrepresents goods or services.