Synthetic Influence: How AI-Generated Content is Reshaping Consumer Trust and Brand Authenticity in Entrepreneurial and Sustainable Contexts

Abstract

The growing use of generative AI in marketing has introduced the concept of “synthetic influence” persuasive signals created by algorithms to simulate human-like authenticity, thereby shaping consumer perceptions and behaviours toward brands. This document presents a conceptual framework examining how AI-generated content alters consumer trust and brand authenticity in digital markets, with particular relevance for entrepreneurs and sustainable brand development. The framework comprises three layers: the Generation Layer (how companies produce AI-generated content), the Perception Layer (how consumers interpret authenticity signals), and the Outcome Layer (the resulting impact on trust formation or erosion). A central mechanism is the 'Authenticity Dilution Effect', whereby an oversaturation of AI-generated authenticity signals within a market gradually erodes their perceived credibility. In response, the framework offers strategic guidance including managing AI intensity, preserving human-created 'content anchors', and timing AI deployment to optimise trust-building conditions. For entrepreneurs and SMEs, the framework highlights that authentic differentiation can serve as a competitive advantage over larger firms, but that using AI to simulate authenticity risks neutralising this edge. Sustainable brands face compounded challenges, as consumers already sceptical of greenwashing become even more critical when evaluating AI-generated sustainability claims. Theoretically, the framework reconceptualises authenticity as a socially constructed phenomenon vulnerable to algorithmic distortion, contributing to both marketing and management theory. Practically, it offers actionable guidance for practitioners navigating marketing in an AI-enhanced environment.