Consumers appear to bracing themselves for the impending shift towards AI-created content, according to a new survey of nearly 2,000 people between the ages of 18 and 65 by Alvarez and Marshal.
The survey, titled “Lights, Camera, AI,” finds that respondents expect to spend 29% more time on AI platforms in the next two to three years, compared with 7% less time on broadcast TV, 4% less time on cable networks/news, 3% less time streaming and 9% less time on social platforms. Meanwhile, newspapers, podcasts and reading/publishing showed resilience, with time spent in those categories expected to grow 1%, 2% and 4%, respectively.
Around 64% of respondents believe that humans will collaborate with AI to create premium content, including box office hits. Only 17% believe the box office will be dominated by 100% human-created films—fewer than those expecting fully AI-created movies (19%).
About 51% of respondents said they were neutral (38%) or excited (13%) to see a film — and willing to pay the same (38%) or more (11%) — when told the script, acting and music was all AI-generated. Of those expressing enthusiasm and willingness to pay, Millennials reported the strongest support, but all demographics expressed some level of interest.
When it comes to interest in content fully created by AI, acceptance was far higher for the short-form side than long-form side.
Roughly 60% said they accept AI-generated TV commercials, compared with 55% who accept a banner ad, 53% who accept a short mobile game and 50% who accept a social video. By comparison, just 34% said they accept a console or PC game created by AI, while 29% said they accept a popular song, 25% said they accept a 30-minute TV show and 23% said they accept a full-length film. Millennials reported the highest interest across the board, while Baby Boomers and Gen Z were aligned in their hesitance toward AI.
When looking at trust versus distrust in AI journalists, Gen Z showed the lowest trust (19%), while Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials were fairly evenly split.
As for distinguishing between AI-generated and non-AI content, 51% of consumers said they could, compared with nearly one-quarter (24%) who said they are not confident. Gen X and Baby Boomers reported significantly lower confidence than their younger counterparts.
While consumers may not be ready to fully embrace long-form AI content just yet, they do have an interest in using the technology as a tool to filter, curate and personalize content.
Around 76% of respondents said they want AI to filter and select content and information for them, including 68% of the usually-resistant Gen Z and Baby Boomers. About 40% of respondents said they are overwhelmed by media offerings and find it difficult to keep track of content and subscriptions.
More than two-thirds of respondents also want an active role in storytelling, shaping plot, characters and outcomes across future books, films and other formats. About 88% of consumers surveyed expressed interest in adaptive content enabled by AI. Forty-three percent preferred a freemium experience for that content, compared with 24% willing to pay a one-time purchase fee, 13% willing to pay a monthly subscription and 6% willing to pay per episode.
