The infinite monkey theorem in AIGC advertising: matching effects between AI disclosure and advertising appeals on consumer advertising avoidance intention

Purpose With the rapid development of AI-generated content (AIGC) in advertising, concerns over advertising transparency and authenticity have emerged. While prior studies have examined how AI versus human creators impact ad effectiveness, less is known about how disclosing AI as the ad creator influences consumers' advertising avoidance. This study investigates the matching effects between AI creator disclosure and advertising appeals (emotional vs. rational) on advertising avoidance intention. It further explores the psychological mechanisms and brand-related boundary conditions behind these effects. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments were conducted using AI-generated advertisements across different product categories. A 2 (AI disclosure: disclosed vs. non-disclosure) × 2 (advertising appeal: emotional vs. rational) × 2 (brand personality: sincere vs. competent) design was adopted. Mechanistic meta-dehumanization was examined as a mediating variable, and brand personality as a moderator. Findings AI disclosure significantly increases advertising avoidance, especially when combined with emotional appeals. Mechanistic meta-dehumanization mediates this effect: AI disclosure activates perceptions that brands treat consumers like data points, particularly with emotional appeals. Brand personality further moderates the effects—sincere brands suffer more from AI disclosure than competent brands. Originality/value This paper examines the negative psychological consequences (e.g. mechanistic meta-dehumanization) of AI disclosure in advertising and proposes an integrated framework linking AI identity, advertising appeal and brand personality.