When brands use AI to create their marketing, Gen Z doesn't just scroll past. According to a new study from Rival Technologies, 72% of Gen Z consumers have taken direct action against a brand after encountering AI-generated marketing, from unfollowing and unsubscribing to complaining publicly and walking away from a purchase.
The study, The Gen Z AI Backlash: How Young Consumers Really Feel About AI in Marketing, raises a concern for advertisers, brand managers and creatives adopting AI to create content.
Seventy-four percent of respondents said they react negatively when they realize a brand's marketing was made with AI, with half describing that reaction as very negative. Just 8% react positively. Those reactions also show up in their behavior: half have unfollowed a brand on social media, 49% have complained to friends, family or online, 48% have unsubscribed from emails or texts and 43% have stopped buying from a brand altogether.
The study also found:
- The backlash grows with age. Strong negative reactions rise from 44% among 18-to-20-year-olds to 54% among those aged 25 to 29.
- The objection is about people, not pixels. Gen Z tie their reaction to lost jobs and uncompensated artists, not to how the AI work looks.
- US and Canadian Gen Z react differently. 84% of Canadian participants react negatively versus 65% in the US, and 48% have stopped buying from a brand over AI marketing versus 38% in the US.
The findings also raise questions about how brands communicate their use of AI. With some Gen Z participants connecting AI-generated marketing to job losses, messages celebrating AI-driven efficiency alongside workforce reductions could reinforce concerns they already have about how companies are using the technology.
“Marketers are moving quickly with AI, and Gen Z is paying attention to how brands use it and what that use says about the company,” said Paula Catoira, chief marketing officer of Rival Group. “Their concerns go beyond the content itself to questions about jobs, creativity and how people are being treated. Attitudes toward AI can change quickly, which makes it important for brands to keep listening rather than assume they already understand where Gen Z stands.”
Rival tracks changes in these attitudes through its Emerging Consumer Index, a continuous research program covering Gen Z and millennial consumers in the U.S. and Canada and refreshed every two weeks. Rival's insight communities also give brands an ongoing way to hear from specific audiences as attitudes and behaviors change.
The study was conducted in July 2026 using Rival’s AI-accelerated, mobile-first, conversational research platform among 901 Gen Z participants across the U.S. and Canada, drawn from Rival's proprietary panels.
Download the full report: https://www.rivaltech.com/gen-z-ai-marketing
Rival Technologies is a research technology company redefining how brands understand people. As a pioneer in conversational research, Rival’s AI-driven, mobile-first platform transforms traditional surveys into engaging, chat-like experiences that reflect how people communicate today. By blending quant, qual and video in a single conversational flow, Rival helps global brands like Cash App, ŌURA, Carnival Corporation and Warner Bros. Discovery capture richer insights, increase response rates and move from data to confident decisions faster. Part of Rival Group, Rival Technologies was named to the Top 10 Most Innovative Technology Suppliers in Greenbook’s 2025 GRIT report. Learn more at rivaltech.com.
