Audiences are increasingly favoring user-generated content over traditional advertising and AI-driven campaigns, according to new research that points to authenticity as a decisive factor in consumer trust and purchasing decisions.

User-generated content, or UGC, refers to organic material created by everyday users rather than by brands, agencies or paid partners. A report from dcdx cited in a recent article by Emarketer found that 70% of Gen Z consumers say UGC is very helpful in their buying journey. Among consumers overall, 60% said UGC is the most genuine form of advertising.

The findings come as brands experiment more aggressively with artificial intelligence in marketing. More than 30% of U.S. adults said AI in advertising makes them less likely to choose a brand, according to the report. Thirty-seven percent view brands that use AI-powered advertising negatively, and nearly two-thirds said they feel uneasy about AI-generated ads.

Beyond skepticism toward AI, younger audiences in particular favor UGC because it comes directly from other consumers. Researchers said that peer-created content is often seen as more relatable than traditional advertising and can increase a brand’s perceived trustworthiness. Content centered on customer experiences also helps build community and engagement around brands.

Marketers appear to share many of the same views as consumers. The report found that 78% of marketers worldwide said UGC is important to social media strategies, including 36% who described it as “extremely important.” By comparison, only 28% of marketers said AI-generated content is important to social media strategies, while 72% said AI is not at all important.

In addition to its perceived authenticity, marketers cited UGC’s cost-effectiveness. Because it is largely created by consumers, UGC requires limited spending beyond incentives and campaign coordination, making it an accessible option for smaller advertisers seeking to reach social media audiences.

The report noted that while AI can help analyze sentiment, identify high-performing content and personalize distribution, it is most effective as a support tool rather than a replacement for human-created content that audiences say they trust most.

Last month iHeartMedia said technology is allowing the company to save up to $150 million annually, but Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman made it clear that artificial intelligence won’t replace human voices on the air. The company recently rolled out a “Guaranteed Human” pledge, promising listeners that all on-air talent and music will be created by human beings and not artificial intelligence.

“We’re not going to have AI masquerading as humans,” Pittman said. “We’re not going to play AI music masquerading as humans. The one thing we value more than anything else is trust — and you lose that, you’re dead.”

Instead, Pittman described AI and technology as efficiency tools that remove duplication, streamline operations and allow iHeart to focus resources on what matters most: talent and sales. “All the rest of us in the company are in service of those two things,” he said. “The people on the air and the people selling the ads.”