AI video can be a minefield for marketers, survey says

"There's a certain kind of dread that hits when a brand video tries to be human and lands somewhere closer to "animated corporate hostage proof-of-life." Consumers say they're seeing AI video everywhere, and they're describing it the way people describe a bad first date: stiff gestures, weird voice, no emotional read. The uncanny valley used to just be a tech problem. Now, it's also a marketing one."

"In the State of Video 2026 report from Animoto, a cloud-based video creation service, close to 83% of survey respondents say they've watched a video they suspect was AI-generated - pointing to robotic gestures (67% of survey respondents), unnatural voices (55%), and a lack of emotional tone (51%). And Animoto's report shows that's getting turned into a business consequence: 36% of consumers say AI-generated brand videos lower their perception of the brand. That's a lot of downside for a so-called workflow upgrade."

"For marketers, the ground has shifted under the content calendar: The tools can make video faster than ever, and audiences have gotten faster at deciding it feels wrong. Eighty-four percent of marketers surveyed by Animoto, which is owned by Redbrick, the parent company of Quartz, said they're using AI in their video creation process, and more than 75% said they use it frequently. The adoption curve has collapsed into a moment where "experimental" is becoming "default.""

Consumers commonly identify AI-generated videos by robotic gestures, unnatural voices, and a lack of emotional tone. Close to 83% of respondents say they've watched videos they suspect were AI-generated, citing robotic gestures (67%), unnatural voices (55%), and lack of emotional tone (51%). Thirty-six percent of consumers say AI-generated brand videos lower their perception of the brand. Eighty-four percent of marketers report using AI in video creation, with more than 75% using it frequently, shifting AI from experimental to default. Rapid adoption combined with visible quality issues creates a material trust and brand-risk problem for marketers.

Read at Quartz