Consumers And Brands Crave The Human Touch; Google Gets Sued (Again) | AdExchanger

"Consumers have grown so weary of AI-generated content and straight-up slop, they're taking extra time to find work made by real people. And some brands are going even further. Instead of airbrushing flaws, they're celebrating them - even going so far as to seek out imperfections in the influencer marketing deals they're planning. The dirty countertop or overflowing garbage can in the background is no longer grounds for a reshoot; it's a way to let viewers know that what they're watching is, well, real."

"More brands are now steering clear of AI-generated content in their creator deals, while others are adding stricter guardrails or disclosure rules, according to influencer marketing experts. "AI can't replicate the messiness of human creativity," says Becky Owen, CMO of influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy. In other words, get ready to hear the word "authenticity" a lot more."

"The Atlantic's suit alleges violations of state and federal antitrust laws and, unlike the DOJ's complaint, seeks both damages and a jury trial. Adding insult to injury, the complaint points out that although Google publicly claims its ad exchange helps publishers earn more, in reality it mostly boosts Google's own margins, a fact even some employees have reportedly acknowledged."

Consumers are increasingly avoiding AI-generated content and spending extra time to find work made by real people. Brands are embracing visible imperfections—dirty countertops or overflowing trash—as signals of authenticity rather than reasons for reshoots. Some brands are excluding AI from creator deals or adding stricter disclosure and guardrails. Influencer marketing leaders emphasize that AI cannot replicate human creativity's messiness, boosting demand for authentic content. Separately, The Atlantic sued Google alleging ad tech monopoly violations, seeking damages and a jury trial and claiming the ad exchange enriches Google at publishers' expense. A CBS News leak revealed testing of set design mockups.

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