Resemble AI Study Finds 1 in 11 Ads Use AI Generated Media

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, UNITED STATES, October 22, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The 2026 Synthetic Advertising Report, released by Resemble AI, a generative AI security platform, sheds light on the pervasive use of AI-generated media in ads on Meta Platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The study, which analyzed 37,768 image and video files from 15,433 ads run by 509 companies across 26 industries, found that one in every 11 ads contained AI-generated or manipulated media. This statistic is significant as it indicates the extent to which AI is being used in advertising.

Among the brands analyzed, 57% had run at least one AI-generated ad, with 70% of these fakes designed to look real, and only 0.06% of the files disclosed the use of AI. The findings underscore the prevalence of AI-generated media in ads, with 44% of fakes being caught only by their audio content, highlighting the importance of audio detection in identifying synthetic media.

The report also revealed that the "customer" in the ad may not exist, as brands used AI to generate selfie-style testimonials and phone-shot videos that imitate real customer footage. Resemble Detect flagged UGC-style ads from Teladoc, MoneyLion, Dave, and Tarte Cosmetics as AI-generated with 99% or higher confidence. Despite the prevalence of AI-generated ads, only 2 of 3,379 AI files mentioned AI in the ad copy, and none of the 971 files checked carried C2PA content credentials, the industry standard for provenance.

The study further revealed that the fakes you can't see are the ones you hear. In a second scan of nine sportsbook, prediction market, and crypto brands that checked audio as well as visuals, 44% of fakes (62 of 142) were caught only by their audio: real footage paired with a synthetic voice. Crypto and brokerage ads were the most synthetic in the entire study, with 29.3% of fakes, and OKX running AI in nearly half of its ads.

The report recommends that marketers and their agencies take steps to ensure transparency. Companies used AI at roughly the same rate regardless of headcount or marketing team size, indicating that the question is not whether a brand's pipeline contains synthetic media but where, including creative produced by agencies and partners. Audit before regulators or reporters do, the report advises.

The findings of the study highlight the need for brands to disclose the use of AI-generated media, as the audience is almost never informed. Without detection, labeling, and consent working together, consumers can't tell a real testimonial from a generated one, and brands lose control of their own name. The report also suggests that brands should watermark and clearly label AI-generated content to maintain transparency and trust.