AI’s

double edge

Belief-defining forces

AI’s

double edge

To compound the complexity of today’s content dysmorphia, AI now sits inside almost every workflow.

Buyers use it for research, productivity and problem-solving. Organisations deploy it in automation, service and data analysis. And ubiquity certainly hasn’t created comfort.

The double edge of AI is scepticism. Two-thirds of IT decision makers expect disclosure whenever AI is used. A third say AI-generated content reduces both belief and trust.

of IT decision makers want disclosure when AI is used in content or communications

Context creates clarity

Reactions to AI depend heavily on where it shows up. Buyers are more comfortable when it is clearly functional – powering productivity, generating summaries, producing research recaps or suggesting products.

But unease rises sharply when AI enters spaces where belief is fragile: sales emails, proposals and thought leadership. In these areas, the absence of disclosure can actively damage trust – even though marketing cannot build trust directly.

Context creates clarity

Reactions to AI depend heavily on where it shows up. Buyers are more comfortable when it is clearly functional – powering productivity, generating summaries, producing research recaps or suggesting products.

But unease rises sharply when AI enters spaces where belief is fragile: sales emails, proposals and thought leadership. In these areas, the absence of disclosure can actively damage trust – even though marketing cannot build trust directly.

of IT decision makers want disclosure when AI is used in content or communications

The upsides of AI are worth it

If we can just be open about the use of AI, the positives are clearly worth it. Buyers welcome AI when it helps them get to “finally” faster. They want tools that summarise, compare and tailor information so they can stop searching sooner. They want to be able to reduce noise and increase clarity.

Well over three-quarters of IT decision makers (82%) say the most valuable AI is the kind that helps them understand, not create. This is exactly why, at Differentiated, our own AI assistant – Sens/AI – has been designed to support creativity rather than replicate it.

Sens/AI is trained only on your content, tailored purely for your audiences. In other words, you send customers your marketing materials. They use Sens/AI to ask questions about the content and make it more personal to them. The power is in their hands. But the control is with you.

say the most valuable AI is the kind that helps them understand, not create

Conviction or impersonation?

When used to impersonate leadership, AI corrodes belief. When used to guide understanding, AI strengthens it.

That’s because buyers don’t want machines to mimic conviction – they want tools that help them see more clearly. The difference between erosion and reinforcement lies in intent: is AI pretending to be human, or is it helping humans decide with confidence?

Conviction or impersonation?

When used to impersonate leadership, AI corrodes belief. When used to guide understanding, AI strengthens it.

That’s because buyers don’t want machines to mimic conviction – they want tools that help them see more clearly. The difference between erosion and reinforcement lies in intent: is AI pretending to be human, or is it helping humans decide with confidence?

0%

say AI-generated content reduces both belief and trust.

0%

say genuine thought leadership matters more in an AI world.