The news: An overwhelming 98% of music listeners failed to differentiate between human-made and AI-generated music in a blind test of three songs that contained two made with AI, per a survey of 9,000 consumers in eight countries from Ipsos and music platform Deezer.

Respondents were disturbed by the outcome: 52% said they were uncomfortable about their inability to distinguish “real” and AI-generated music, and 80% said they want AI-made music to be clearly labeled.

Why this matters: While music’s lack of a visual element means that AI use is harder to identify than in other mediums, the survey’s portrait of anxious consumers who struggle to notice AI content is reflected across the media ecosystem and has implications for advertisers who want to use the technology.

A 2024 Yahoo and Publicis survey found that consumers want clear disclosures on AI ads, with 96% saying they would trust brands more for transparency. But crucially, only 1 in 4 respondents noticed the disclosure, and 72% said they struggled to distinguish manmade from AI-made ads.

Similarly, a group of consumers who watched Coca-Cola’s 2024 holiday spot, an AI recreation of its famous 1995 “The Holidays Are Coming” spot, rated the ad similarly to the original—but only when not told that AI was used.

Coca-Cola again used AI for its 2025 holiday campaign, having learned lessons from last time. The 2024 spot was criticized for its most obvious uses of AI, like uncanny human characters; the 2025 spot instead largely features animals.

What it means for brands: Since that Yahoo survey, AI-generated content has only become more ubiquitous and convincing, laying bare the clashing incentives for AI-curious brands of lowering production costs and maintaining consumer trust.

In the immediate future, advertisers are likely to disclose AI use in formats like video, where its more abrasive elements are easier to spot—but also as a way to position themselves as technology-forward brands. But as the tech improves and consumers’ ability to recognize it diminishes, many will likely avoid disclosures for fear of blowback.