New research from YouGov has revealed Australian consumers have mixed feelings about the use of AI in advertising.

While approximately half of Australian consumers were okay with AI being used in advertising and marketing, the majority thought that this should be disclosed by brands.

The study showed that 53% of Australians have a level of discomfort with brands using AI to develop virtual brand ambassadors, while 52% were uncomfortable with AI editing product images. Close to half were uncomfortable with AI being used for generating product images (49%), copywriting ads or product descriptions (45%), and deciding ad media placements (42%).

Globally, the research showed that 42% of consumers are comfortable with AI deciding the placement of advertisements in media channels, but only 34% were comfortable with AI creating a virtual ambassador.

In comparison to 17 other nations in the study, Australia sat mid-table when it came to discomfort with the use of AI in marketing. The nations most uncomfortable with this tech use in advertising were France, Sweden, Britain, Spain, Canada, and Italy.

The data for this study was based on surveys of adults aged 18+ years in 17 markets with sample sizes varying between 500 and 2,040 for each market. All surveys were conducted online in January 2024.