As the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates, new research from video platform Animoto finds that marketers risk alienating viewers if AI-generated content outpaces what viewers actually want: authentic storytelling.
Overall, the 2026 State of Video report found that nearly 83% of consumers say they have watched a video they suspect was generated by AI, with robotic gestures (67%), unnatural voices (55%), and lack of emotional tone (51%) cited as the biggest contributing factors.
However, people are not completely rejecting AI. More than a third trust AI-generated content as much as human-generated videos. But brands should tread carefully, as 36% of consumers say AI-generated videos reduce their perception of the brand.
Importance of video
“Video is at the heart of modern marketing, helping people learn, shop and connect with brands,” said Beth Forrester, CEO of Animoto. “While the rise of AI has enabled marketers to greatly enhance the way they create and enhance videos, it also risks undermining the credibility that builds trust.”
Animoto surveyed more than 450 U.S. consumers and marketers at businesses who had created at least one video in the past three months. Follow-up qualitative insights were collected from over 150 Animoto users.
Video drives purchasing decisions
82% say video is the most memorable form of content, 86% say they prefer to learn about brands through video, and 83% of consumer respondents say they have purchased something after watching a brand video.
The most important quality was personal and authentic, chosen by 43%. Helping support this desire for authenticity is featuring real people in your videos, mentioned by 68% of consumers. The length of the video is also important. 61% prefer videos under 1 minute, dropping to 5% who want videos longer than 2 minutes.
Where AI makes an impact
For marketers, the primary use of AI is to come up with video ideas, with 63% saying they have used AI. Other uses include saving editing time (55%), finding relevant content (54%), overcoming creative blocks (54%), and writing scripts (55%).
The use of AI is seen as another means of supporting, rather than replacing, human creativity. 84% of marketers already use AI in their video creation process, and over 75% use AI frequently. And nearly all emphasize the importance of maintaining creative control and brand integrity. 90% say it’s essential to be able to edit AI-generated content, 95% say it should reflect their company’s branding, and 99% think their brand personality should shine through.
According to the report, 9 out of 10 marketers surveyed say video is important to their overall strategy and plan to create more videos this year, 75% of marketers plan to hire or build a team of in-house dedicated video creators, and 60% report that in-house video is superior to agency-produced content.
“Taken together, these findings provide a clear roadmap for brands in 2026: invest in video and embrace AI, while keeping employees in the boardroom,” Forrester said.
Click here to learn more about Animoto’s “State of Video 2026” report.
