“Saying is Believing”: Exploring the Importance of AI ‐Generated Content Disclosure and User Trust

ABSTRACT As AI‐generated content (AIGC) becomes increasingly prevalent across digital platforms, understanding its impact on users' trust and attitudes toward this new technology is crucial. Using an experimental design, we examined how the presence or absence of disclosing the use of AI in content generation influences user engagement with AI‐generated images and videos on social media platforms. Our experiment recruited 64 individuals (N control group =31, N experiment group =33) from various social groups, with experiment group being explicitly informed of the usage of AI in content generation and control group not informed. User's behavioral variances are captured and measured using eye‐tracking devices during the experiment session. We also conducted interviews with participants to further explore their experiences and attitudes. The findings highlight the nuanced role of disclosure of AIGC in shaping user trust and offer practical implications for the ethical presentation of AI‐generated content.