Home Factors 
Week after week, AI has been in the headlines. And in marketing, AI promises faster campaigns, better automation, and hyper-personalization that can’t be beat.
And while all of this is true, 2026 will likely be a year of consumer backlash.
Marketing that feels bot-driven, tone-deaf, or intrusive is turning people off. As a result, consumers are increasingly looking for more genuine experiences.
The AI Trust Gap Is Growing
Marketers are facing a dilemma. On one hand, marketing teams are being encouraged to adopt AI into nearly every part of their day-to-day. On the other hand, audiences still expect authenticity and relevancy.
While many AI tools and processes are saving marketers time and streamlining operations, AI usage requires a delicate balance to keep audiences engaged. Here’s why:
Consumer confidence is quickly eroding due to the overuse of AI. Findings from Talker Research discovered just how deep the problem runs:
- Americans believe only 41% of online content is accurate, factual, and made by humans
- Three-quarters say their trust in the internet is at an all-time low, with 78% claiming it’s “never been worse” for telling real from artificial.
- 82% of Americans want businesses to be legally required to disclose when AI is used in marketing, content creation, or customer service.
- Consumers are less likely to buy from businesses that rely on:
- Bot-written reviews (62%)
- AI customer service reps (50%)
- AI-generated images (49%)
When your messaging starts to feel overly artificial, your audience will take note.
“When people feel they’re being talked at by a machine, they don’t feel valued. Once that happens, it’s difficult to rebuild that trust. My best advice is to be aware of how your AI usage is impacting key touch points – is it adding to or subtracting from trust?”
– Larisa Bedgood, Head of Marketing
How AI Fatigue is Impacting Marketing
Decreased Audience Engagement
The constant flood of AI-generated content and repetitive, highly-targeted ads (a form of “creative fatigue”) causes audiences to tune out, making them more likely to ignore, scroll past, or simply not notice the messaging.
Additionally, heavy reliance on AI can lead to over-targeting and generic messages, causing audiences to actively disengage from you.
Loss of Trust and Authenticity
As we’ve mentioned, AI fatigue has now become a trust issue. Consumers have become more adept at spotting content that is machine-made.
Too much AI can lead audiences to perceive you as being inauthentic or impersonal. Consider when you need to reach out to customer service about a complex issue. Would you feel like dealing with an AI answering system or AI chat bot?
Brand Blurring and Loss of Uniqueness
Think about it: When multiple brands turn to the same AI models and tools, the output often shares an eerily similar style and tone.
Truly capturing attention and differentiating your brand in a crowded market is already difficult enough. Adding unchecked AI usage to the mix won’t help here!
How Marketers Can Respond to AI Fatigue
While AI fatigue is rising, the answer isn’t to ditch the technology. Rather, it’s to use it more strategically.
“There’s nothing wrong with AI, and there are plenty of great uses for it. However, if it’s causing your marketing strategy to feel cold or cookie-cutter, people are going to check out fast. In 2026, focus on making personalization feel real and human. That means using AI’s efficiency, but pairing it with authentic messaging and quality data insights.”
– Michelle Taves, VP and Group GM, Data & Marketing
4 Strategies to Beat AI Fatigue
Marketers must pay special attention to the illusion of personalization at scale. If it starts to feel forced or generic when you are reading it, consumers will feel the same. Instead, focus on strategies that feel relevant, respectful, and genuinely useful and personalized. Here’s how:
1. Lean into intent signals.
Demographics don’t tell the whole story. Instead of targeting by age or income alone, listen for behaviors such as seen in browsing behaviors and life-stage shifts that reveal when consumers are truly in-market.
2. Build transparency into personalization.
Consumers are telling us they want honesty. If AI helps shape content or service, then disclose it. And be sure to pair those efficiencies with clear human oversight so the experience feels real, not simply robotic.
3. Refresh data frequently.
Nothing breaks trust faster than outdated or irrelevant personalization. Fast-moving audiences expect brands to keep pace with what they need right now, not who they were last year.
4. Prioritize consistency across channels.
Whether someone sees your brand in an email, on social, or in-store, the message should feel connected. Fragmented experiences won’t only fall flat, they will harm your reputation with consumers.
Conclusion
AI isn’t the enemy – it’s a tool. However, leaning on it too much can put off your customers and quickly crush your credibility.
Beating AI fatigue will combine AI’s efficiency with the human perspective. Most importantly, use data to tap into the signals that understand what people are really wanting and needing.
If you use data intentionally, refresh it often, and keep your message consistent across channels, personalization in 2026 will feel relevant, and not robotic.
