Mechanisms of Brand Authenticity Erosion in AI-Generated Advertising: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in advertising since 2022 has transformed content production while raising concerns about the preservation of brand authenticity, a critical foundation of consumer trust and brand relationships. This study examines how AI-generated advertising influences perceived brand authenticity, identifies the mechanisms driving authenticity erosion, and explains the contextual factors that account for inconsistent findings in prior research. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this review synthesizes 13 studies published between 2022 and 2026 retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and EBSCOhost databases. Through thematic synthesis, this study identifies three interrelated mechanisms through which AI-generated advertising may undermine brand authenticity: disclosure effects, failed anthropomorphism, and sincerity erosion. The findings further reveal that the effects of AI-generated advertising on authenticity perceptions are contingent upon individual characteristics, product and brand contexts, and source-related factors, including AI capability beliefs, product type, luxury positioning, and communicator characteristics. This study develops an integrated framework explaining when and why AI-generated advertising enhances or undermines brand authenticity, thus providing theoretical insights for consumer research and practical implications for AI-enabled marketing decision-making.