Report: How brands are using AI influencers to fake customer reviews on social media

Brands are using AI-generated influencers to mimic authentic customer experiences on social media, often without any disclosure to consumers. Sarah Marsh reports for The Guardian that an investigation identified several companies posting AI-generated videos and photos designed to look like real user-generated content (UGC).

Examples include a video of an apparently AI-generated bride praising a photo app at her wedding, and a woman promoting an AI interior design tool. A Dubai-based fashion brand deleted images from its social media after the Guardian asked about them. One image showed a woman with an extra finger, a common sign of AI generation.

No rules require disclosure

Currently, no regulation in the UK forces brands to tell consumers when promotional content features AI-generated people. The Advertising Standards Authority confirmed there are no specific disclosure rules for AI content. Its focus remains on whether an ad is misleading overall, not on AI use itself. The EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act will require labelling of AI-generated content from August, but this will not apply to the UK.

The consumer group Which? found that 70% of people cannot correctly identify all real and fake videos when shown examples. Its tech editor Lisa Barber called on companies to be transparent when AI-generated influencers appear in promotional content.

NDAs hide AI use from the public

Clarissa Mansbridge, who creates AI influencer content for brands, told the Guardian that many creators are required to sign non-disclosure agreements. She estimates that 40% to 60% of content from some major brands is already AI-generated. Brands are drawn to the lower costs: a traditional photoshoot can cost up to $70,000, while AI-generated alternatives are far cheaper.

Mansbridge described the situation as “plausible deniability” for brands that want to avoid scrutiny while still benefiting from content that appears to come from real customers.