Seems like AI slop: The trust risk of AI-generated images

AI image generation has improved massively in recent years. But buyer beware. The risk of using an AI image can just as massively outweigh the benefits.

Our clients hire us to help them demonstrate their expertise. Images that look  AI-generated erode that trust.

According to Getty Images' "Building Trust in the Age of AI" report, 98% of consumers agree that seeing authentic images or videos is vital in earning their trust. While it's not guaranteed that an AI-generated image will be seen as inauthentic, the chances are considerably higher.

The same Getty report found AI use is especially damaging to brand reputation when it depicts people or products — and most of the graphics RenewComm produces feature one or the other, sometimes both. Our clients' audiences tend to know these products well and notice when they look off. We've swapped out a stock photo in a LinkedIn post before because it showed an older generation of wind turbines. If our audience notices that, they'll certainly notice an AI-generated wind turbine.

Our industry is also about people. You will notice if your colleague or a trusted expert looks a little off.

According to that Getty report, 9 in 10 consumers want to know when an image has been created using AI. Many governments and platforms are starting to require these labels. Yet including a label distracts from the main message. Why run the risk of distracting from the message you are trying to land?

LinkedIn recently introduced a "Seems like AI slop" button. Enough clicks and the algorithm suppresses the post — potentially the whole account. The image is one of the first things people see on a LinkedIn post, and an AI-generated one could get even a well-researched, well-written post labeled slop. 

There are some legitimate uses of AI related to images. For example AI background removal tools are unlikely to be an issue, a battery on a solid color background is still the same battery that it was in a warehouse. A good rule of thumb is that if AI use does not change the meaning of an image then it is far less likely to erode trust. Images are not just decoration, they are a place to convey honest information and build trust.

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