September 2025

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 sep 2025

Prof. Linwan Wu of the University of South Carolina researches on advertising psychology and communication technology. More recently his interests are focused on artificial intelligence (AI) in advertising. In his latest research he tries to find out consumer reactions to the integration of AI in advertising and strategic communication. He says, 'Through my research, I have learned that consumers’ stereotypes of machines and robots, positive and negative, significantly influence their reactions to applications such as AI-created ads, AI-driven chatbots, and AI influencers. On one hand, people believe AI is more objective and accurate; on the other hand, they think AI cannot handle emotions and subjective tasks well.' He explains the important trends that people should understand about the interplay between advertising, technology and AI - Role of automation facilitated by AI in the areas of ad creation and ad placement; Use of Generative AI to create a large volume of advertising messages in the digital environment; Use of AI in programmatic advertising to achieve hyper-personalized delivery of messages. AI Global Public Opinion Tracker at USC tracks the shifts in public trust, use, and perceptions of AI. The findings are published as AI Index reports. Three reports have come out till now - Volune 1 in Summer 2024 (This survey explores the awareness, usage, and perception of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, specifically focusing on large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI's ChatGPT within the United States' communication landscape. HIGHLIGHTS - Generational divide in AI knowledge with younger people are more aware of AI; 38% of respondents use AI for work or study; AI tools are perceived to enhance productivity; Significant ethical and privacy concerns exist; 46% believe AI has a positive impact on journalism, while 36% view it negatively; 52% of Americans fear job losses due to AI, while 29% expect job transformation requiring new skills); Volume 2 in Winter 2024 (This is a survey focused on measuring the use and perception of AI tools within the United States. The survey explores various aspects of AI, including its impact on news consumption, social media engagement, and professional tasks related to communication. HIGHLIGHTS - Rising public interest in AI with 57% acquainted with AI tools to various degrees; AI tools are used by 35% of the population for communication content creation; Half of those in communication-related roles and 75% in IT and technical fields report regular use; Concerns about AI displacing jobs have dropped by 10% since June 2024, from over half to 42%; Mixed sentiments over AI's overall impact; Only one-third of the public surveyed is aware of ethical concerns related to AI tools; Mixed impact on journalism; Mis/disinformation fears persist); Wave 3 in August 2025 (This survey deepens earlier findings. The data are gaining consistency, pointing to clear directions for the future of communication, journalism and the use of AI tools in the workplace. HIGHLIGHTS - Nearly half of Americans now say they've heard "a lot" or "a great deal" about AI, up from just over a third last year; AI use for creating communication content jumped from 35% to 42% in eight months, driven by idea generation and summarizing; Half of U.S. adults have used ChatGPT or similar tools for work or study, up from 43% in late 2024; AI tool confidence ranked higher than political parties and media outlets; ChatGPT is the most used AI assistant (83% of AI users); Half see AI's overall impact as positive, but negative views are up (28%, from 22%); 57% believe AI will widen the gap between tech-skilled and non-tech workers; Mis/disinformation concerns persist. 44% think AI will increase mis/disinformation, and only one-third believe it will reduce it). Read on...

University of South Carolina News: Professor explores intersection of AI, advertising and public perception
Author: Brandon Pugh

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