Some marketers are proudly touting anti-AI campaigns, but those promises could put them in a tricky spot down the road (www.businessinsider.com)

A growing group of big brands — from Aerie to Heineken and DC Comics — are openly marketing themselves as “human-made” and anti-AI, betting that consumer fatigue with synthetic content will make human-authenticity a selling point. Advertising Week highlighted that even AI-forward companies are trying to preserve a human element in storytelling (OpenAI’s relatable ad was cited), and some marketers may also be shielding their roles: promoting a human-first approach can be a form of job protection. The strategy is risky. Executive behavior suggests AI adoption is still likely to spread: a survey cited in the piece found 87% of executives use AI on the job (versus 57% of managers and 27% of employees), and examples from GM’s planned “eyes-off” self-driving feature (2028) to internal splits at EA show the tech’s deep organizational pull. For large brands, outright rejection could create competitive disadvantages, scale problems, and credibility gaps if rivals embrace AI efficiencies or personalization. In short, anti-AI marketing may win short-term trust from skeptical consumers, but it could leave companies boxed in operationally and strategically as AI becomes embedded across products, workflows, and media.