Key stat: Some 40% of shoppers are comfortable with brands using AI to personalize direct mail offers to their interests, the top use, but only 29% say the same about AI-made images of people, according to a September report from Lob.

Beyond the chart:

• Still, personalization has limits. “Creepy” personalization is the top reason US adults pass on a brand: 57.5% say it would make them less likely to choose one, according to Amperity.
• Gen Z adults especially reject AI-made people. Some 73% say it's unacceptable for businesses to use AI to create people or voices in ads, according to Bentley University-Gallup.

Use this chart: Drop this into your direct mail planning deck to make the case for AI-driven personalization and against AI-made images of people. Then show it to your creative team to argue for real faces on your mail pieces.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• AI Can Make Creative—Can It Be Creative? (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Generational Shopping Trends 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the September 2026 Lob report titled "State of Direct Mail: Consumer Insights Edition" in partnership with Kirin Analytics and PureSpectrum. 2,000 US adults, nationally representative of age, gender, income, and region, were surveyed online in July 2026.