Creating and consuming AI-generated content: ethical challenges of trust and transparency

Abstract

This study explores the ethical and trust-related implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic communication. It compares professional content creators (e.g. journalists, public relations (PR) practitioners and advertising practitioners) and content consumers, focusing on differences in AI knowledge, trust and attitudes toward responsible AI practices. A quantitative survey examined participants’ AI knowledge, trust and support for responsible AI practices. Comparative and correlational analyses were then conducted to explore the intersections of these variables. Greater AI knowledge correlated with higher trust and more positive perceptions of AI-generated content. However, creators, particularly those working in strategic communication, were less supportive of responsible AI practices. Consumers, despite lower AI knowledge, expressed stronger support for responsible AI practices. These findings reveal a gap between professional and public expectations regarding AI use and responsible AI practices. This study integrates creator and consumer perspectives within a single framework, empirically demonstrating differences in support for responsible AI practices and identifying trust as a central factor linking AI knowledge to positive evaluations of AI-assisted content across both audiences. By positioning trust and user knowledge as key mechanisms, the study advances theorization of the transparency dilemma as a conditional process rather than a uniform effect.