Can Algorithms Connect? Consumer Perceptions and Receptivity in the Age of AI Marketing

Abstract

The proliferation of generative artificial intelligence in marketing contexts has outpaced empirical understanding of consumer reception, particularly in India's rapidly digitalising economy. This study investigates consumer perceptions of and receptivity to AI-generated marketing content among 207 urban respondents in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, employing a structured questionnaire, descriptive statistics, non-parametric group-comparison tests, and Spearman correlation analysis. The central finding is that consumer attitudes organise into two statistically orthogonal dimensions: AI Skepticism (M = 3.22, α = 0.812) and AI Contextual Acceptance (M = 2.81, α = 0.625), which are independent of each other (ρ = −0.057, p = 0.412). All three hypotheses are supported: H1 confirms both dimensions diverge significantly from neutrality; H2 establishes that professional creative background predicts Skepticism while prior AI tool experience predicts Acceptance; and H3 demonstrates that AI tool users report substantially higher brand perception scores following AI-generated advertising exposure (M = 3.13 vs. 2.55, U = 4127.5, p = 0.002, r = 0.273). The Pragmatist consumer typology (high Skepticism paired with high Contextual Acceptance) emerges as the strategically dominant segment. Findings challenge binary pro-/anti-AI framings and carry direct implications for AI disclosure strategy, content segmentation, and responsible AI adoption in Indian brand communications.