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TRUVACE RECORD VERSION
record: TRV-2026-2672
version: 1
kind: certified
reason: Certified into the record
timestamp: 2026-11-12T16:58:44.545223Z
status: published
lens: trace
sector: business
headline: Overcoming the Uncanny Valley Effect in AI-Generated Emotional Ads: Matching AI to Ad Themes
dek: Whereas perceived eeriness in an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated emotional video ad can negatively influence consumer attitudes, thematic alignment between the ad content and the use of AI can help mitigate these negative reactions. Across two experiments, we proposed and tested the AI fit attribution model in the context of AI-generated emotional advertising. Study 1 demonstrated that disclosing AI use increases perceived eeriness, which reduces emotional intensity and weakens viewers’ attitudes toward t…
gain_title: In a second experiment, viewers who saw AI use match an emotional ad's theme were more likely to attribute the eeriness to creative intent rather than cost-cutting, which reduced its negative effect on attitudes.
problem_title: In the first of two experiments on AI-generated emotional video ads, disclosing AI use raised perceived eeriness, which lowered the ads' emotional intensity and weakened viewers' attitudes toward them.
trace_subject: Consumer reactions to AI-generated emotional video advertising
gain_reading: In a second experiment, viewers who saw AI use match an emotional ad's theme were more likely to attribute the eeriness to creative intent rather than cost-cutting, which reduced its negative effect on attitudes.
gain_evidence: when AI use aligns with the ad’s theme, consumers are more likely to attribute the eeriness to creative intent rather than cost-cutting motives, thereby reducing its negative impact
problem_reading: In the first of two experiments on AI-generated emotional video ads, disclosing AI use raised perceived eeriness, which lowered the ads' emotional intensity and weakened viewers' attitudes toward them.
problem_evidence: disclosing AI use increases perceived eeriness, which reduces emotional intensity and weakens viewers’ attitudes toward the ad
quick_read: A two-experiment study in the Journal of Interactive Advertising tested how consumers react to emotional video ads made with AI. In the first experiment, telling viewers that AI was used increased how eerie the ad felt, which dulled its emotional intensity and made attitudes toward the ad less favourable.

The second experiment tested whether context changes that reaction. When the use of AI fit the ad's theme, viewers were more likely to read the eeriness as a creative choice than as a way of cutting costs, and the negative effect shrank.

The authors propose an AI fit attribution model and say the results extend attribution theory and the match-up hypothesis to AI-generated advertising. They suggest that presenting AI as a creative tool, especially when it suits the theme, can raise consumer acceptance.
limitation: 
tag: Dual reading
key_points: The research consists of two experiments on AI-generated emotional video advertising. | Study 1 found that disclosing AI use increased perceived eeriness of the ad. | Higher eeriness reduced the ad's emotional intensity and weakened viewers' attitudes toward it. | Study 2 found that when AI use matched the ad's theme, viewers more often attributed eeriness to creative intent rather than cost-cutting. | The authors call the framework the AI fit attribution model and tie it to attribution theory and the match-up hypothesis. | The authors recommend framing AI as a creative tool, particularly when it aligns with the ad's theme.
rundown: The study addresses the uncanny valley problem in advertising: AI-generated people or scenes that look almost, but not quite, natural can feel eerie to viewers. The researchers focused on emotional video ads, where viewers' emotional response matters most.

The first experiment established the harm. Disclosure of AI use raised eeriness, and that chain ran through to lower emotional intensity and weaker attitudes toward the ad.

The second experiment tested a remedy based on thematic fit. If AI use made sense for the ad's theme, consumers attributed the eeriness to creative intent instead of cost-cutting motives, softening the damage. The authors present this as guidance for deploying such ads ethically and effectively.
sources:
- peer_reviewed | Journal of Interactive Advertising | https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2026.2701061 | 2026-07-29
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