Industry Research
AI Voice Sentiment Index
Consumer sentiment toward AI-generated voices in advertising, compiled from 14 published industry studies.
Sources: IAB, CivicScience, Jacobs Media, Pew Research, Edelman, Kantar, and more | Full methodology
Last updated: March 25, 2026
Concern Is Rising
Three independent studies tracking different questions all show negative sentiment toward AI in advertising increasing year over year. The specific percentages measure different things, but the direction is the same.
The Perception Gap
Ad industry executives overestimate how positively consumers feel about AI. The gap grew from 32 to 37 points between 2024 and 2026.
Distrust Across Studies
These results come from separate research organizations using different methodologies. The skepticism shows up regardless of who asks the question.
Who's Most Skeptical?
Gen Z reports more negative sentiment toward AI ads than Millennials, despite being the generation most likely to use AI tools daily.
Source: IAB (2026)
Key Findings
75% of radio listeners oppose AI cloned voices replacing live talent
Among 29,000+ core radio listeners surveyed across 500+ stations
Jacobs Media (2024)39% have "big issues" with AI voicing radio commercials
Resistance extends beyond voice cloning to AI-voiced ads specifically
Jacobs Media (2024)81% concerned about future implications of AI voice technology
Top perceived threat: manipulation and deception (69%)
Podcastle (now Async) (2024)2 in 3 people incorrectly identified a human voice as AI-generated
Respondents were so primed to expect AI that they misidentified real human voices. The distrust affects perception in both directions.
Podcastle (now Async) (2024)Only 13% trust ads created entirely by AI
48% trust ads co-created by humans with AI support. Human involvement is the differentiator.
Smartly.io (2025)41% of consumers say AI-generated ads bother them
Only 29% of marketers think AI ads bother consumers — a 12-point perception gap
Kantar (2024)Only 5% of Americans trust AI "a lot"
41% express distrust. Usage is high but confidence in AI output remains low.
YouGov (2025)49% of Americans reject the growing use of AI — only 17% embrace it
A 3:1 ratio of rejection to embrace. The widest gap among the five developed nations surveyed.
Edelman (2025)36% less likely to buy from brands using AI in ads
Up from 32% in December 2024. A 4-point increase in under a year.
CivicScience (2025)82% of ad execs think consumers feel positive about AI ads — only 45% actually do
A 37-point perception gap that widened from 32 points in 2024
IAB (2026)20% of consumers call brands using AI "manipulative"
Only 10% of ad executives would use that word. Consumers are twice as likely to.
IAB (2026)93% want to know how digital content was created or edited
From a survey of 2,002 US consumers. Near-universal demand for AI transparency.
Adobe (2024)6 in 10 say ads should always be labeled when AI is used
An additional 21% say labeling is needed when AI played a significant role
CivicScience (2025)Nearly half think advertisers should disclose AI voices or AI avatars
Consumers treat disclosure as a baseline expectation.
IAB (2026)Gen Z are nearly twice as likely as Millennials to feel negative toward AI ads
39% of Gen Z vs 20% of Millennials report negative feelings toward AI ads.
IAB (2026)61% of under-30s say AI will make people worse at thinking creatively
The generation most familiar with AI is also concerned about its effect on creativity.
Pew Research (2025)The Other Side of the Data
Not all the data points in the same direction. These findings add context to the overall picture.
Personalized AI ads were 22 percentage points more effective at increasing brand favorability than generic ads
In an Intel Evo campaign study, personalization drove the lift. Respondents may not have known the ads were AI-generated.
48% of consumers trust ads co-created by a person with AI support
Compared to 13% for fully AI-created ads. Human involvement appears to be the deciding trust factor.
Objection to AI-generated models in advertising fell from 49% to 46% year-over-year
A modest decline suggesting some normalization, though nearly half still object.
38% think AI will make advertising more creative (up 4 points)
A growing minority see creative potential in AI-assisted advertising.
Sources & Methodology
All data points are sourced from published industry reports and press releases. Each statistic links directly to its original source. Where sample sizes or methodologies were not publicly disclosed, we note that explicitly.
Disclosure: RealVOTalent is a human voice talent marketplace. We have a business interest in this topic. We've included counter-evidence and flagged potential conflicts of interest in our sources so you can evaluate the data independently. Sources marked with * have noted disclosures.
| Source | Year | Sample | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive Advertising Bureau — "The AI Ad Gap Widens" | 2026 | 505 consumers + 104 ad executives | Survey of US Gen Z (16-27) and Millennial (28-43) consumers plus ad industry executives, Oct 2025 – Jan 2026 |
| IAB — "Why Young Consumers Aren't Yet Buying Into Gen AI Ads" | 2024 | 300 consumers + 75 ad executives | Survey of US Gen Z and Millennial consumers plus ad executives |
| CivicScience — Consumer AI Advertising Sentiment | 2025 | National US adult panel | Ongoing polling of US adults, reported October 2025 |
| Jacobs Media Techsurvey 2024 | 2024 | 29,000+ respondents | Survey of core radio listeners from 500+ commercial stations in US & Canada, Jan–Feb 2024 |
| Pew Research Center — How Americans View AI | 2025 | 5,023 US adults | National survey of US adults, June 9–15, 2025 |
| Edelman Trust Barometer — AI Flash Poll | 2025 | 5,000 respondents across 5 countries | Flash poll across Brazil, China, Germany, UK, US, Oct 2025 |
| Kantar Media Reactions 2024 | 2024 | Not disclosed (global panel) | Annual global advertising attitudes survey |
| Podcastle — "The Future of Voice" Survey * Podcastle (now Async) is an AI-powered audio/video creation platform | 2024 | 1,000 Americans | National survey of Americans on AI voice technology attitudes |
| Smartly.io — AI and Advertising Consumer Expectations * Smartly.io is an AI-powered advertising platform | 2025 | Not disclosed | Consumer survey on AI advertising expectations, 2025 |
| Adobe AI Safety Study | 2024 | 2,002 US consumers | Consumer attitudes survey on AI content transparency, Sept 2024 |
| Deloitte Digital Media Trends 2025 | 2025 | Not disclosed | Annual digital media consumer attitudes survey |
| YouGov — Americans and AI Trust | 2025 | 1,287 US adults | Online survey of US adults, December 4, 2025 |
| Veritonic & Instreamatic — Personalized AI Audio Ads Study * Study commissioned by Instreamatic, an AI audio ad platform | 2024 | Not disclosed | Brand lift study measuring exposure groups for Intel Evo campaign |
| Attest — Consumer Adoption of AI Report 2025 | 2025 | 5,000 consumers (US, UK, Canada, Australia) | Survey of consumers aged 18-67 across 4 markets, Jan 2025 |
Cite this page
RealVOTalent AI Voice Sentiment Index (2026). realvotalent.com/ai-voice-sentiment
This compilation is provided under CC BY 4.0. You're free to share and adapt with attribution. All underlying data belongs to its respective publishers. Please cite original sources for specific statistics.
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