--- description: Marketers face a confusing policy landscape, competitive pressures, and consumer perception when deciding whether to label AI-generated content on social media. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/capterra/og_logo-e5a8c001ed0bd1bb922639230fcea71a.png?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress title: Should UK marketers label AI-generated content on social media? --- # Lack of transparency around genAI content puts UK marketers and audiences at risk Canonical: https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog/6859/lack-of-transparency-around-genai-marketing-content-creates-risk Published on 27/08/2024 | Written by Molly Burke. ![Lack of transparency around genAI content puts UK marketers and audiences at risk](https://images.ctfassets.net/63bmaubptoky/5kfrOgAVUuiOIgPMe5EFj/348fd0ce6ddd9571ea4d6109167437e2/CAP_Gen_AI_Social_content_Survey_INTL_Header_2__for_part_II_.png) > Marketers should be transparent about the use of GenAI on social media. ----- ## Article Content Marketers should be transparent about the use of GenAI on social media.In this articleUK businesses anticipate tougher GenAI regulationConsumer distrust of GenAI disincentivises content labellingWith GenAI, transparency is the best policyOrganise your labelling efforts with the right softwareAs the new Starmer-led Labour government weighs its regulatory approach to generative AI, social media platforms are taking the initiative with labelling policies to protect the public from unknowingly consuming AI-generated content. While originally intended to blunt the impact of political misinformation, AI labels have already impacted how marketers and their audiences regard using GenAI for social media marketing. So far, few companies are fully compliant with social media labelling policies. According to Capterra’s survey of over 1,600 marketers worldwide, while the average UK marketer uses GenAI to produce 36% of their company’s social media content, just over a quarter consistently label the AI-generated content they post on social platforms.\* This lack of transparency creates risk for companies and consumers alike. While UK companies wait for legislation around AI-generated content, they can implement GenAI best practices into their marketing workflows to capture the efficiency of this new technology without stumbling into problems with social media platforms and their users. Key insightsOnly 27% of UK marketers using GenAI for social media content creation say their companies always label AI-generated content on social media.56% of UK marketers say mandatory labelling of AI-generated content on social media would positively impact their companies’ social media performance. Over half (56%) of UK marketers are moderately to highly concerned about the risk that their companies’ AI-generated marketing content could spread harmful misinformation. 77% of UK marketers say the use of AI-generated content has enhanced their companies’ performance on social media.UK businesses anticipate tougher GenAI regulationOver the next 18 months, UK marketers are expected to make the largest relative increase in the amount of social media content they create using GenAI, compared to countries across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. At the same time, they’ll face greater pressure to increase transparency around GenAI usage for the benefit of consumers.GenAI has the potential to create a whole new species of incredibly convincing false advertising because people are not very good at telling AI-generated and real images apart—and as the tech improves, it’ll only get harder to do so. \[1\] The viral Glasgow Willy Wonka event of early 2024 is a perfect example of how a business could use GenAI to scam customers with misleading imagery. \[2\] Mandatory transparency around GenAI use might help fight the negative influence of AI-generated marketing content. Recent research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests that consumers are less trusting of political content bearing an AI label. \[3\] Following that logic, some experts believe AI labels could help prevent wildly inflated customer expectations about a product’s appearance or performance based on an exaggerated image, similar to how cosmetics companies add fine-print disclaimers to ads featuring retouched models. Buyer beware: In the age of GenAI, what you see is not necessarily what you get.This idea has prompted social media companies such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to roll out mandatory labels for content made with GenAI. It’s also drawn the attention of the new Starmer-led government, which has indicated that it will pursue stricter regulation of AI compared to previous administrations. \[4\]There’s one big problem, of course: Anyone using GenAI to mislead people intentionally is unlikely to self-disclose that they used the technology. And since we don’t yet have a fool-proof method of detecting AI-generated content, AI label policies are currently unenforceable. There is also no universally accepted AI-generated content label, which muddies the very definition of “AI-generated content.” What should an AI label look like? What level of GenAI involvement in a given piece of content warrants a label? How do we deal with noncompliance? Experts can’t decide. Perhaps unsurprisingly, only about a quarter (27%) of UK marketers label their AI-generated content on social media, which is actually a few points less than the global average of 30%. Even companies that don’t create their own marketing content are at risk. Without effective detection tools, the 27% of surveyed UK marketers who hire creative agencies or freelancers to produce their marketing content can’t be sure whether those third parties are using GenAI. In fact, the majority (70%) of marketers who outsource are moderately to very concerned that they might be unwitting recipients of AI output. The inevitable failure of any self-reporting policy is one of the many reasons experts diverge on the extent to which AI labelling may protect the public: If everyone doesn’t participate in AI labelling, the labels lose meaning. \[3\] Current limitations around the enforcement of labelling policies leave businesses in a tricky position and with little incentive to use AI labels. And though many marketers say AI labels are a good thing, their actions indicate otherwise. Consumer distrust of GenAI disincentivises content labellingOver half (56%) of UK marketers say AI labels would improve their social media performance, yet so few actually apply them. What gives?In addition to the confusing regulatory landscape outlined above, consumer perception of GenAI and competitive pressure give businesses plenty of reasons not to label their AI-generated content:AI slop could lead to social media abstention. Businesses don’t want to be seen as contributing to an influx of “AI slop”—mediocre, unwanted GenAI content on the internet. \[5\] If consumers are statistically less likely to engage with AI-generated content, then why would you label it as such? Analysts predict that by 2025, a perceived decline in social media content quality related to GenAI will prompt half of consumers to significantly decrease their use of social media platforms. \[6\] Such a change would tank the return on investment (ROI) of GenAI tools, not to mention a whole host of social media marketing software investments. Businesses are hoping that their AI-generated content will be interesting enough that audiences won’t know or care that it wasn’t made by humans.The public is deeply pessimistic about AI’s impact on society, particularly with regard to social media. According to a survey by the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation of over 4,000 UK residents, respondents are far more likely to have negative or neutral associations with AI than positive associations, with 10% using the word “scary” to describe the technology in an open-response question about their attitude toward AI. Many believe AI will negatively impact job opportunities and social equity. Additionally, social media companies were rated least trustworthy users of personal data, trailing big tech companies, pharmaceutical companies, and the government. \[7\]Competitors don’t label their content. One in five marketers we surveyed says using GenAI—transparently or not—has yielded a competitive advantage.\* As competitive pressures lead more companies to adopt GenAI, some marketers may omit labels in an effort to appear more authentic than others who are transparent about their use of GenAI. They’ll get away with it until social platforms introduce reliable AI content detectors. Until then, labelling will continue to rely on companies using labels in good faith, which not everyone does. \[8\]Labelling adds a few steps to a not-quite-fully automated workflow. Doing the important work of aligning stakeholders to develop an internal labelling framework and including a labelling step in the GenAI content publishing workflow takes time that could put businesses behind their competitors. At the current crossroads, UK businesses have three options with regard to AI-generated content labelling:Label GenAI content on social media and face a potential backlash. Choose not to label GenAI content on social media and maybe face the consequences if caught. Choose not to use GenAI at all, with the option of positioning themselves as an “acoustic” brand that says no to AI. \[6\] None of these options are perfect, and the path forward is unclear. No matter where you are with your decision, you may have to choose sooner rather than later because customers are already responding strongly—and negatively—to the influx of AI content.With GenAI, transparency is the best policy All that said, being honest with customers and only publishing high-quality content is always an effective long-term strategy. If your business chooses to use GenAI for marketing, you should do so responsibly and transparently.Here are some tips on how to approach GenAI content and labelling on social media.Do comply with social platforms’ stated policies on AI-generated content labelling.Do explore ways that AI can automate the routine tasks your human creatives do with marketing content. For instance, AI-powered grammar checkers or image editing tools can save marketers time that is better spent on complex creative tasks. Don’t use GenAI to replace human creatives. GenAI can produce content quickly and at scale, but that content needs human intervention before it’s published. Don’t publish low-quality AI-generated content—in other words, content that’s boring, uncanny, or full of mistakes. Your social media audience will immediately clock that it’s AI-generated and will perceive you as inauthentic. How top social media companies approach AI content labelsMeta (Instagram, Facebook, and Threads): Meta previously applied a “Made with AI” label onto posts with metadata that indicated the presence of AI-generated content. Following an outcry from photographers whose content was labelled due to their use of digital editing tools, Meta updated its label to simply read “AI info.” \[9\] Users can click on the label to learn more about why it was applied.TikTok: TikTok launched a required AI-generated content label last year, warning creators that their content could be removed if they did not disclose that they had used AI. It soon began testing technology that can automatically label AI-generated content. It now labels AI-generated content with “Content Credentials,” a digital watermark tech that attaches metadata to AI-generated content. \[10\]YouTube: As of March 2024, YouTube creators are required to label realistic-looking content that was made using AI. However, the label is not required for certain effects, such as beauty filters or background blurring, or for “clearly unrealistic” content, such as animation. \[8\]Organise your labelling efforts with the right softwareSoftware can help businesses manage their labelling efforts. For example, digital asset management software helps companies organise their image and video libraries so they can track which content needs a label when it’s time to publish it on social media. Similarly, brand management software provides a centralised location for storing, distributing, and editing brand guidelines as they evolve with the influence of AI. Brand management software also integrates with social media platforms so businesses can analyse the performance of AI-generated content. ## Disclaimer > Survey methodology\*Capterra’s GenAI for Social Content Survey was conducted in May 2024 among 1,680 respondents in the U.S. (n: 190), Canada (n: 108), Brazil (n: 179), Mexico (n: 199), the U.K. (n: 197), France (n: 135), Italy (n: 102), Germany (n: 90), Spain (n: 123), Australia (n: 200), and Japan (n: 157). The goal of the study was to learn more about the impacts of generative AI on social media marketing strategies. Respondents were screened for marketing, PR, sales, or customer service roles at companies of all sizes. Each respondent indicated their use of generative AI to assist with their company's social media marketing at least once each month.SourcesThink You Can Spot an AI-Generated Person? There’s a Solid Chance You’re Wrong, Fast CompanyThe Willy Wonka Experience’s Generative AI Debacle Is Just the Start of Our Nightmarish New Advertising Reality, Fast CompanyLabeling AI-Generated Content: Promises, Perils, and Future Directions, MITWhat We Know About the New U.K. Government’s Approach to AI, TIMEFirst Came ‘Spam.’ Now, With A.I., We’ve Got ‘Slop’, The New York TimesHow Marketing Can Capitalize on AI Disruption, GartnerPublic Attitudes to Data and AI: Tracker Survey (Wave 3), Centre for Data Ethics and InnovationYouTube Adds New AI-Generated Content Labeling Tool, The VergeInstagram’s ‘Made With AI’ Label Swapped Out for ‘AI Info’ After Photographers’ Complaints, The VergeTikTok Begins Automatically Labeling AI-Generated Content, CNBC ## About the author ### Molly Burke Molly Burke, a Senior Specialist Analyst, has been contributing to Capterra since April 2022, focusing on technology trends in retail, hospitality, and customer experience. Her work delves into how technology, automation, and AI are revolutionizing customer shopping experiences. Molly emphasizes software solutions that enhance personalized customer interactions, such as digital signage and appointment scheduling software, and explores the data-driven tools that support these experiences, including help desk and inventory management software. Her expertise lies in guiding small and midsize businesses to make informed tech investments that align with the digital and immersive experiences modern consumers demand. She advocates for automation that liberates employees from mundane tasks, allowing them to concentrate on delivering outstanding customer service. Molly's insights are informed by proprietary survey research, expert interviews, conversations with Capterra advisors, and thousands of verified software user reviews. Additionally, her background in working in kitchens, writing for ecommerce companies, and engaging with emerging retail and restaurant technologies enriches her understanding and analysis. ## Related Categories - [Advertising Agency Software](https://www.capterra.co.uk/directory/30736/advertising-agency/software) - [Artificial Intelligence (AI) Software](https://www.capterra.co.uk/directory/30938/artificial-intelligence/software) - [Email Marketing Software](https://www.capterra.co.uk/directory/30013/email-marketing/software) - [SMS Marketing Software](https://www.capterra.co.uk/directory/30842/sms-marketing/software) - [Social Media Marketing Tools](https://www.capterra.co.uk/directory/30781/social-media-marketing/software) ## Related Articles - [AI in Finance: Applications & benefits](https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog/1945/3-applications-of-finance-ai) - [How to implement AI for recruiting without sacrificing candidate experience](https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog/7183/how-to-implement-ai-for-recruiting) - [What is natural language processing and how can SMEs use it?](https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog/2987/what-is-natural-language-processing-and-how-can-smes-use-it) - [Generative AI: UK employees say it improves innovation and analysis but more regulation is needed](https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog/4135/generative-ai-in-the-UK-workplace) - [B2B lead generation: What, why, and how](https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog/2522/b2b-lead-generation) ## Links - [View on Capterra](https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog/6859/lack-of-transparency-around-genai-marketing-content-creates-risk) - [Blog](https://www.capterra.co.uk/blog) - [Home](https://www.capterra.co.uk/) ----- ## Structured Data