AI video has gone mainstream in record time. From text-to-video models that generate silly cat videos to corporate avatars explaining onboarding processes, brands across industries have been experimenting with AI to produce video content faster, cheaper, and at scale.
But the very strength of AI video is also its weakness.
The internet has become flooded with “AI slop”—which is basically low-quality spam content—and audiences are becoming more skeptical than ever.
This is why trust matters now more than ever.
Trust is vital for brand loyalty, and if consumers are convinced your videos are fake or misleading, the long-term damage on your reputation could surely outweigh any short-term gains on efficiency.
This then begs the question: How can brands foster trust through AI video?
Why trust is important for consumers
Consumers today agree that trust is a more important factor now than ever before.
Gen Z consumers, in particular, have become picky when it comes to choosing brands they trust, because they want brands that match their values, such as honesty and integrity.
And if they think the videos you’re putting out are fake, they’re not going to give you the time of day at all.
Traditionally, video has been one of the strongest mediums in marketing for building trust. Seeing real people on screen gives consumers the impression that you’re genuine and trustworthy.
AI video, however, has complicated this equation. When a video seems particularly suspicious, the first question on our minds is: is this AI?
Brands that ignore these questions risk losing a great deal of consumers, but those that make efforts to be transparent and intentional in their AI use can transform AI video from a risk into an asset.
What exactly is AI Video?
The 2025 Artificial Intelligence Index Report describes AI video, or text-to-video, as machine learning models that generate video outputs based on natural language prompts.
Put simply: you describe a scene, and then AI creates it.
For brands, this is the dream.
You don’t have to take weeks to write a script, organize a film crew, or undergo comprehensive edits because now, advertisements can be generated within minutes.
Now, you can produce multiple localized versions for global audiences without having to reshoot multiple times.
Even people with no video production expertise can now create these videos in a snap.
Sounds too good to be true? Well, it is.
AI models rely on training data sourced from the internet. This raises ethical questions around ownership, originality, and consent.
Plus, some AI avatars just give a sense of uncanny valley. They might look like real people, but there’s just something about them that makes them look soulless to consumers.
This is why brands need to use AI video—and AI tools, in general—as a complement to human creativity, not a replacement.
The trust factor
With current attitudes on AI, consumers can often easily tell when something is AI-generated.
Avatars can look slightly “off,” voices may lack natural intonation, and as we’ve discussed, they often have uncanny qualities that could come off as creepy.
AI content is also associated with slop, as social platforms have become flooded with AI videos that just have no rhyme or reason: from cats swimming in slime to a cow driving a motorcycle in the arctic, you name it.
But perhaps the most important issue here is copyright infringement and the spread of deepfakes, which raises questions about misuse and deception.
With all these in mind, naturally, consumers have begun to expect brands to take a stand on AI and ethical marketing and advertisement.
The question is, can it be done?
Case Studies: how brands are using AI Video successfully
Coca-Cola
In its Create Real Magic campaign, Coca-Cola invited customers to create AI artwork using brand assets.
The key to success was curation: AI generated the content, but Coca-Cola maintained strict oversight to ensure outputs remained high quality and true to their brand.
And, of course, artists were given due credit for their work.
What made this campaign so successful is how they made sure to add a human touch, which helped them foster trust while also positioning their brand as innovative.
Duolingo
Language-learning app Duolingo has tested AI video to create personalized lessons for specific users.
They’ve created a feature called Video Call With Lily where you can talk to an animated purple-haired AI Avatar in different languages.
This helps learners apply their knowledge in exercises that simulate real-world conversations. It’s an innovative way to use AI video without sacrificing brand trust.
Nike
Together with AKQA studios in Melbourne, Nike traveled back in time to create a video of a match between Serena Williams from her first US Open in 1999 versus her most recent one in Australia in 2017.
This is something that’s never been done before, and is a very good example of AI use that is both transparent and innovative. It symbolizes the beginning of a new era in sports analytics!
Best Practices
So how can you use AI video responsibly and ethically to avoid consumer skepticism? Here are 6 best practices.
1. Be transparent
Consumers want honesty. If you’re using AI for video production, always be transparent about it.
More importantly, show them that you’re using it as a tool to create more personalized or more inclusive content—not to replace people.
2. Don’t rely on it completely
AI should never produce unvetted content; fact-check your scripts, edit your visuals, and craft your narratives so they align and stay true to your brand voice.
In short, position AI as a collaborator, not a creator.
3. Use real people
Trust grows when consumers see real people. Make sure to add real user testimonials or executive messages to your content. This helps make sure that you’re still genuine!
4. Focus on quality over quantity
Just because AI enables mass production doesn’t mean you should flood all social media channels with your content. Doing so will just add to the pollution of AI slop on the internet.
A smaller number of polished, thoughtful videos will build more trust than dozens of AI-generated clips.
Because you certainly don’t want your brand looking like slop.
5. Use AI only where it makes sense
Use AI video for:
- Explainers and tutorials
- Personalized customer engagement
- Localized variations of existing campaigns
- Internal training or onboarding
Avoid using it for content that requires emotional nuance or meaningful brand storytelling as these types of content still demand human creativity.
6. Respect ethics and copyright
Always make sure that the data or prompts that you’re using don’t infringe on the rights of other creators. Maybe even adopt internal AI use policies that emphasize consent, originality, and ethical marketing.
Turning skepticism into trust with AI video
As AI advances, consumers are also becoming more AI-literate. They know it’s here to stay, and they expect brands to use it responsibly.
The key to turning skepticism into trust? Framing.
There are many ways you can do this:
- Position AI as an enabler of personalization. For example, “We use AI to make sure our product demos are available in your language, so you don’t miss out.”
- Show how AI improves accessibility. Brands can be more inclusive by using AI video to add captions, translations, or sign-language avatars.
- Reinforce the human role. Share how your creative team reviews, edits, and enhances AI outputs to align with your values.
By using AI as a tool for service and not for deception, you can reassure consumers that you’re using this new technology for innovation and inclusion.
The future of AI Video in brand marketing
As time progresses, there’s no question that AI video will become more sophisticated and might even blur the line between synthetic and authentic content. But this is not just an opportunity; it’s also a big responsibility.
Because trust and authenticity will always be important.
As high-tech tools—not just AI—become more sophisticated, it will be more and more easy for brands to get lazy and just let it take the helm.
Only those that use them ethically and transparently will earn not just the trust, but the respect of consumers.
Conclusion
AI is not a big, bad, evil guy that will forever ruin the realm of content creation. We—both brands and consumers alike—just need to use it more responsibly!
Because AI can be powerful and innovative, not just for marketing and content creation, but for real-world and practical uses, too.
For lazy brands, the shortest route is easy and cheap: just let AI take over, and consumers will do the rest.
But this is a big mistake if you want consumers to trust and be loyal to you.
The key here is to let AI handle efficiency (scaling, translating, and automating), but let humans provide authenticity (storytelling, oversight, and creativity).
As the internet and the marketing world at large becomes flooded with slop, only the brands that know how to use this winning formula will stand out.
Because even if AI and algorithms can help you cut costs and scale production, human authenticity always wins consumers.
