72% of Gen Z have taken action against brands using AI marketing
If you are running AI-generated content in your marketing, Gen Z is not quietly tolerating it. According to a July 2026 study by Rival Technologies, 72% of Gen Z consumers have taken direct action against a brand after spotting AI-generated marketing.
What the Numbers Say
The study surveyed 901 Gen Z participants across the US and Canada using Rival’s mobile-first conversational research platform. The behavioral data is specific:
- 74% react negatively when they recognize AI-made marketing
- 50% describe that reaction as very negative
- Only 8% react positively
- 50% have unfollowed a brand on social media
- 49% have complained to friends, family, or publicly online
- 48% have unsubscribed from emails or texts
- 43% have stopped buying from a brand altogether
The Backlash Gets Stronger With Age
Negative reactions are not uniform across the generation. Strong negative reactions rise from 44% among 18-to-20-year-olds to 54% among those aged 25 to 29. Older Gen Z, who entered the workforce as AI-related layoffs became a real news story, feel the tension more acutely.
The objection is not primarily aesthetic. The study found Gen Z ties its reaction to job losses and uncompensated artists, not to how the AI content looks or performs. That framing matters for how brands communicate about their use of AI.
US vs. Canada
There is a notable geographic split. Canadian Gen Z consumers react more strongly: 84% respond negatively to AI marketing versus 65% in the US. On purchase behavior, 48% of Canadian respondents have stopped buying from a brand over AI marketing, compared to 38% in the US.
The Operator Implication
If you are shipping AI-generated content at scale and pairing it with messaging about efficiency gains or team reductions, the study suggests that combination reinforces the exact concerns Gen Z already holds. The CMO of Rival Group, Paula Catoira, put it plainly: their concerns extend beyond the content itself to questions about jobs, creativity, and how people are being treated.
Rival tracks these attitudes through its Emerging Consumer Index, a continuous research program refreshed every two weeks covering Gen Z and millennial consumers in the US and Canada.
I’m founder of BizStack at Cagri Sarigoz LLC and a passionate advocate for entrepreneurs.
With over 14 years in tech, marketing, and AI, including my role as Head of SEO at CitizenShipper and co-founder of TaleBot at Intale AI, I’m dedicated to sharing genuine, useful product insights and tips.
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