Episode 148: Paul Bannister Shares Research on How Consumers Feel About AI-Generated Content

Marketecture Podcast, Episode 148

Guest: Paul Bannister, Chief Strategy Officer, Raptive
Hosts: Ari Paparo, Eric Franchi
Date: November 14, 2025
Main Theme: How Consumers Feel About AI-Generated Content: Original Research and Market Impact

Episode Overview

This episode features Paul Bannister from Raptive sharing exclusive findings from new research on how consumers perceive AI-generated content, how trust is affected, and what it means for publishers and advertisers. The conversation spans survey methodologies, sector-specific impacts, strategies for publishers in an AI-driven landscape, earnings discussions, and industry news—all with a candid, insightful tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paul Bannister’s Research on Consumers & AI Content

[03:29–15:23]

Research Methodology ([03:29])

Raptive conducted two primary studies:
- A representative survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, focusing on attitudes toward AI-generated vs. human-generated content.
- Analysis of multi-year traffic data across 4,000+ publisher sites to assess vertical trends and AI’s impact.
Participants reviewed both human-written and strong-quality AI-generated content. In some cases, content was labeled as human or AI-written; sometimes, labeling was withheld to test reaction and perception.

Core Findings

Trust Differential is Real, But Nuanced ([04:39–06:31])

“While people, when the content was labeled, trusted AI-generated content slightly less… it wasn’t a huge gap there… But when things were not labeled, people were very suspicious. They really didn't like it.”
— Paul Bannister [05:39]
The ‘AI Stink’ Effect ([06:31])
If consumers suspected content might be AI-created—without clear labeling—trustworthiness dropped as much as 30–50%.

“If you were suspicious that it was AI generated and you weren't clear about it, your trust levels went down like 30, 40, 50%—really big drops in how you thought about the content.”
— Paul Bannister [06:57]
Experience Curve: Trust Dips, Rises, Then Falls Again ([07:09–08:24])
The more experienced you are with AI, the less you trust content at both the novice and expert ends; moderate users are most accepting.

“Novices didn't trust, but advanced AI users also didn't—moderate users actually felt better about AI content… It was a curve.”
— Paul Bannister [08:24]
Sector Sensitivity: Where AI Is Welcome (and Not) ([09:08])
- Best: Factual lookups (sports scores, finance, etc.)—consumers largely fine with AI.
- Worst: Personal stories and parenting/family. People claim to want human input for sensitive or personal advice—but traffic data show they’re consulting AI anyway.
“Parenting and family was second-highest for human preference, but actually, that’s a sector where we see huge traffic drop-offs—from AI.”
— Paul Bannister [10:21]

Traffic Impacts Across Verticals ([10:41–11:47])

Notable declines (10–30%) in traffic from SEO for verticals like sports, travel, and personal finance.
Food sites less affected; news sites actually saw slight traffic increases (possibly due to Google Discover offsets).
Smaller publishers/SEO-dependent sites face existential threats (some losing 80%+ traffic and shutting down).

Winner-Take-All Dynamics ([12:02–13:40])

Larger, branded publishers fare better. Direct audience relationships & diversification (email, CTV, etc.) are crucial.

“The number one defense is having a really strong brand… If users want you, they’ll find you in different ways.”
— Paul Bannister [13:12]

Best Practices for Publishers ([13:50–15:23])

No to Pure AI Spam: Raptive aims for content with “significant human involvement.”
AI as Partner, Not Spam Generator: Using AI for extensions or drafts, then editing/validating, is acceptable; mass, unchecked AI content is not.
Example scenario: Repurposing recipes with AI is okay if the human expert checks them.

2. Industry Earnings & Trends

[19:25–24:39]

Major Company Earnings Recap ([19:35–21:07])

The Trade Desk, Vyant, AppLovin: strong revenue growth.
Teads: revenue down 42%, 10–15% decline for “premium publishers” (citing open-web traffic loss, possibly AI-driven).
Pubmatic: steady, CTV up 50%.

Macro Lessons from Quarter ([22:51–24:39])

Demand-side/walled garden platforms growing fastest.
AI-driven ad products now core to platforms like Meta (30%+ revenue).
CTV is the engine of open web growth.

3. Debate: Open Web Display Budgets and AI’s Impact

[25:18–29:31]

Forrester 2026 Prediction ([25:18])

Predicted: Display budgets to drop 30% due to AI (traffic declines + “unaddressability”).

“I’m skeptical… That 30% could be targeted to the right places, that can actually be great for the web.”
— Paul Bannister [26:15]

Programmatic Monetization Trends ([27:17–28:27])

CPMs and publisher revenues up modestly.
Publishers (including Raptive) are actively reducing ad density/ad load, yet maintaining or increasing revenue.

“For the first time ever… we’re able to cut ad load and make the same or more [money].”
— Paul Bannister [27:25]

Creative Innovation in Ad Formats ([28:39–29:31])

Shift away from basic display formats toward high-impact, outcome-driven units.

4. AI and Programmatic Workflow Automation

[29:34–31:59]

Industry-Wide Adoption ([29:38–31:33])

Amazon, Google, Innovid: All releasing agentic AI tools to automate campaign set-up and optimization.

“Automate your workflow inside one tool… This is all stage one stuff. Very valuable… [but] doesn’t change the world.”
— Ari Paparo [31:28]

Raptive’s Approach ([31:33])

Automating manual tasks for ad ops: e.g., ingesting IOs straight into the ad server, reducing spreadsheet labor.

5. News Grab Bag & Industry Moves

[32:09–40:58]

WPP / Love Island Legal Saga ([32:09–34:20])

Revelations about media rebates, barter agencies, and alleged undisclosed client kickbacks.
Industry practices—like “barter media deals”—still deeply entrenched.

M&A: Nativo Acquired by Life360 ([35:01–36:42])

Life360 (“family spyware” app with rich behavioral data) acquiring native ad SSP Nativo for $100M+.
Speculation: Integrate data with RMN (retail media network)-style addressable ads for families and young people.

Jim Payne Raises for CloudX ([36:47–39:06])

Mopub/Max founder Jim Payne raises $30M for a new AI-driven, privacy-enhanced mobile ad SDK (CloudX).
Focus: Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) for auditable, privacy-centric auctions—Meta, LiftOff, and Magnite as launch partners.

Founders’ “Repeat Playbooks” ([39:15–40:24])

Multiple ad tech entrepreneurs “keep building the same thing” to great effect (Moat, Universal Ads, etc.).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Perception of AI Content:

“The 'AI stink’… your trust levels went down like 30, 40, 50%—really big drops…”
— Paul Bannister [06:57]

On Publisher Survival:

“If you were 90% SEO, like, that's a whole lot of eggs in one basket, and that is likely not going to work out well for you.”
— Paul Bannister [13:25]

On Programmatic Ad Tech Future:

“Every single ad tech company should be rolling out announcements like this [AI automation] in the next couple months.”
— Ari Paparo [31:28]

On Workflow Pain:

“We're working on a thing…that can take an IO and insert all the line items directly into the ad server. And just things like that that just like so manual. They're so painful. And the fact that it's 2025 and it's still happening, it's shocking.”
— Paul Bannister [31:33]

On Repeat Entrepreneurial Success:

“Some of the most successful entrepreneurs…they keep doing the same thing, right?...There's something to this idea of people just like, bringing back the old playbooks.”
— Eric Franchi [39:15]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[03:29] — Paul Bannister outlines research methodology and survey setup
[05:39] — Trust gap and “AI stink” explained
[07:09] — Effect of labeling/suspicion and trust curve by AI experience
[10:41] — Traffic loss by vertical and surprise findings in parenting/family
[12:02] — Average traffic losses and publisher “panic button”
[13:50] — Publisher strategies for AI/human hybrid content
[19:35] — Earnings recap and open web revenue discussion
[25:18] — Forrester’s “30% budget cut” prediction critiqued
[27:25] — Ad density reduction and CPMs holding
[29:38] — Agentic AI tool announcements; workflow stages
[31:33] — Raptive’s automation for ad ops
[32:09] — WPP/Love Island legal and barter agency discussion
[35:01] — Nativo’s acquisition by Life360
[36:47] — Jim Payne’s CloudX launch and SDK innovation
[41:00] — Paul to share AI slides; how listeners can get in touch

Conclusion & Next Steps

Paul Bannister has agreed to share the research slides presented at the event; listeners can reach out via LinkedIn.
The episode concludes with encouragement to think creatively about brand building and deeper AI integration that’s human-guided—and a tease for upcoming episodes focusing on fresh ad tech entrepreneurship.

Note: All ad reads, intros, and outros have been omitted for clarity and flow.

Marketecture Podcast, Episode 148

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paul Bannister’s Research on Consumers & AI Content

[03:29–15:23]

Research Methodology ([03:29])

Raptive conducted two primary studies:
- A representative survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, focusing on attitudes toward AI-generated vs. human-generated content.
- Analysis of multi-year traffic data across 4,000+ publisher sites to assess vertical trends and AI’s impact.
Participants reviewed both human-written and strong-quality AI-generated content. In some cases, content was labeled as human or AI-written; sometimes, labeling was withheld to test reaction and perception.

Core Findings

Trust Differential is Real, But Nuanced ([04:39–06:31])

“While people, when the content was labeled, trusted AI-generated content slightly less… it wasn’t a huge gap there… But when things were not labeled, people were very suspicious. They really didn't like it.”
— Paul Bannister [05:39]
The ‘AI Stink’ Effect ([06:31])
If consumers suspected content might be AI-created—without clear labeling—trustworthiness dropped as much as 30–50%.

“If you were suspicious that it was AI generated and you weren't clear about it, your trust levels went down like 30, 40, 50%—really big drops in how you thought about the content.”
— Paul Bannister [06:57]
Experience Curve: Trust Dips, Rises, Then Falls Again ([07:09–08:24])
The more experienced you are with AI, the less you trust content at both the novice and expert ends; moderate users are most accepting.

“Novices didn't trust, but advanced AI users also didn't—moderate users actually felt better about AI content… It was a curve.”
— Paul Bannister [08:24]
Sector Sensitivity: Where AI Is Welcome (and Not) ([09:08])
- Best: Factual lookups (sports scores, finance, etc.)—consumers largely fine with AI.
- Worst: Personal stories and parenting/family. People claim to want human input for sensitive or personal advice—but traffic data show they’re consulting AI anyway.
“Parenting and family was second-highest for human preference, but actually, that’s a sector where we see huge traffic drop-offs—from AI.”
— Paul Bannister [10:21]

Traffic Impacts Across Verticals ([10:41–11:47])

Notable declines (10–30%) in traffic from SEO for verticals like sports, travel, and personal finance.
Food sites less affected; news sites actually saw slight traffic increases (possibly due to Google Discover offsets).
Smaller publishers/SEO-dependent sites face existential threats (some losing 80%+ traffic and shutting down).

Winner-Take-All Dynamics ([12:02–13:40])

Larger, branded publishers fare better. Direct audience relationships & diversification (email, CTV, etc.) are crucial.

“The number one defense is having a really strong brand… If users want you, they’ll find you in different ways.”
— Paul Bannister [13:12]

Best Practices for Publishers ([13:50–15:23])

No to Pure AI Spam: Raptive aims for content with “significant human involvement.”
AI as Partner, Not Spam Generator: Using AI for extensions or drafts, then editing/validating, is acceptable; mass, unchecked AI content is not.
Example scenario: Repurposing recipes with AI is okay if the human expert checks them.

2. Industry Earnings & Trends

[19:25–24:39]

Major Company Earnings Recap ([19:35–21:07])

The Trade Desk, Vyant, AppLovin: strong revenue growth.
Teads: revenue down 42%, 10–15% decline for “premium publishers” (citing open-web traffic loss, possibly AI-driven).
Pubmatic: steady, CTV up 50%.

Macro Lessons from Quarter ([22:51–24:39])

Demand-side/walled garden platforms growing fastest.
AI-driven ad products now core to platforms like Meta (30%+ revenue).
CTV is the engine of open web growth.

3. Debate: Open Web Display Budgets and AI’s Impact

[25:18–29:31]

Forrester 2026 Prediction ([25:18])

Predicted: Display budgets to drop 30% due to AI (traffic declines + “unaddressability”).

“I’m skeptical… That 30% could be targeted to the right places, that can actually be great for the web.”
— Paul Bannister [26:15]

Programmatic Monetization Trends ([27:17–28:27])

CPMs and publisher revenues up modestly.
Publishers (including Raptive) are actively reducing ad density/ad load, yet maintaining or increasing revenue.

“For the first time ever… we’re able to cut ad load and make the same or more [money].”
— Paul Bannister [27:25]

Creative Innovation in Ad Formats ([28:39–29:31])

Shift away from basic display formats toward high-impact, outcome-driven units.

4. AI and Programmatic Workflow Automation

[29:34–31:59]

Industry-Wide Adoption ([29:38–31:33])

Amazon, Google, Innovid: All releasing agentic AI tools to automate campaign set-up and optimization.

“Automate your workflow inside one tool… This is all stage one stuff. Very valuable… [but] doesn’t change the world.”
— Ari Paparo [31:28]

Raptive’s Approach ([31:33])

Automating manual tasks for ad ops: e.g., ingesting IOs straight into the ad server, reducing spreadsheet labor.

5. News Grab Bag & Industry Moves

[32:09–40:58]

WPP / Love Island Legal Saga ([32:09–34:20])

Revelations about media rebates, barter agencies, and alleged undisclosed client kickbacks.
Industry practices—like “barter media deals”—still deeply entrenched.

M&A: Nativo Acquired by Life360 ([35:01–36:42])

Life360 (“family spyware” app with rich behavioral data) acquiring native ad SSP Nativo for $100M+.
Speculation: Integrate data with RMN (retail media network)-style addressable ads for families and young people.

Jim Payne Raises for CloudX ([36:47–39:06])

Mopub/Max founder Jim Payne raises $30M for a new AI-driven, privacy-enhanced mobile ad SDK (CloudX).
Focus: Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) for auditable, privacy-centric auctions—Meta, LiftOff, and Magnite as launch partners.

Founders’ “Repeat Playbooks” ([39:15–40:24])

Multiple ad tech entrepreneurs “keep building the same thing” to great effect (Moat, Universal Ads, etc.).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Perception of AI Content:

“The 'AI stink’… your trust levels went down like 30, 40, 50%—really big drops…”
— Paul Bannister [06:57]

On Publisher Survival:

“If you were 90% SEO, like, that's a whole lot of eggs in one basket, and that is likely not going to work out well for you.”
— Paul Bannister [13:25]

On Programmatic Ad Tech Future:

“Every single ad tech company should be rolling out announcements like this [AI automation] in the next couple months.”
— Ari Paparo [31:28]

On Workflow Pain:

“We're working on a thing…that can take an IO and insert all the line items directly into the ad server. And just things like that that just like so manual. They're so painful. And the fact that it's 2025 and it's still happening, it's shocking.”
— Paul Bannister [31:33]

On Repeat Entrepreneurial Success:

“Some of the most successful entrepreneurs…they keep doing the same thing, right?...There's something to this idea of people just like, bringing back the old playbooks.”
— Eric Franchi [39:15]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[03:29] — Paul Bannister outlines research methodology and survey setup
[05:39] — Trust gap and “AI stink” explained
[07:09] — Effect of labeling/suspicion and trust curve by AI experience
[10:41] — Traffic loss by vertical and surprise findings in parenting/family
[12:02] — Average traffic losses and publisher “panic button”
[13:50] — Publisher strategies for AI/human hybrid content
[19:35] — Earnings recap and open web revenue discussion
[25:18] — Forrester’s “30% budget cut” prediction critiqued
[27:25] — Ad density reduction and CPMs holding
[29:38] — Agentic AI tool announcements; workflow stages
[31:33] — Raptive’s automation for ad ops
[32:09] — WPP/Love Island legal and barter agency discussion
[35:01] — Nativo’s acquisition by Life360
[36:47] — Jim Payne’s CloudX launch and SDK innovation
[41:00] — Paul to share AI slides; how listeners can get in touch

Conclusion & Next Steps

Paul Bannister has agreed to share the research slides presented at the event; listeners can reach out via LinkedIn.
The episode concludes with encouragement to think creatively about brand building and deeper AI integration that’s human-guided—and a tease for upcoming episodes focusing on fresh ad tech entrepreneurship.

Note: All ad reads, intros, and outros have been omitted for clarity and flow.

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Summary

Marketecture Podcast, Episode 148

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paul Bannister’s Research on Consumers & AI Content

Research Methodology ([03:29])

Core Findings

Traffic Impacts Across Verticals ([10:41–11:47])

Winner-Take-All Dynamics ([12:02–13:40])

Best Practices for Publishers ([13:50–15:23])

2. Industry Earnings & Trends

Major Company Earnings Recap ([19:35–21:07])

Macro Lessons from Quarter ([22:51–24:39])

3. Debate: Open Web Display Budgets and AI’s Impact

Forrester 2026 Prediction ([25:18])

Programmatic Monetization Trends ([27:17–28:27])

Creative Innovation in Ad Formats ([28:39–29:31])

4. AI and Programmatic Workflow Automation

Industry-Wide Adoption ([29:38–31:33])

Raptive’s Approach ([31:33])

5. News Grab Bag & Industry Moves

WPP / Love Island Legal Saga ([32:09–34:20])

M&A: Nativo Acquired by Life360 ([35:01–36:42])

Jim Payne Raises for CloudX ([36:47–39:06])

Founders’ “Repeat Playbooks” ([39:15–40:24])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Perception of AI Content:

On Publisher Survival:

On Programmatic Ad Tech Future:

On Workflow Pain:

On Repeat Entrepreneurial Success:

Timestamps for Key Segments

Conclusion & Next Steps

Summary

Marketecture Podcast, Episode 148

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paul Bannister’s Research on Consumers & AI Content

Research Methodology ([03:29])

Core Findings

Traffic Impacts Across Verticals ([10:41–11:47])

Winner-Take-All Dynamics ([12:02–13:40])

Best Practices for Publishers ([13:50–15:23])

2. Industry Earnings & Trends

Major Company Earnings Recap ([19:35–21:07])

Macro Lessons from Quarter ([22:51–24:39])

3. Debate: Open Web Display Budgets and AI’s Impact

Forrester 2026 Prediction ([25:18])

Programmatic Monetization Trends ([27:17–28:27])

Creative Innovation in Ad Formats ([28:39–29:31])

4. AI and Programmatic Workflow Automation

Industry-Wide Adoption ([29:38–31:33])

Raptive’s Approach ([31:33])

5. News Grab Bag & Industry Moves

WPP / Love Island Legal Saga ([32:09–34:20])

M&A: Nativo Acquired by Life360 ([35:01–36:42])

Jim Payne Raises for CloudX ([36:47–39:06])

Founders’ “Repeat Playbooks” ([39:15–40:24])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Perception of AI Content:

On Publisher Survival:

On Programmatic Ad Tech Future:

On Workflow Pain:

On Repeat Entrepreneurial Success:

Timestamps for Key Segments

Conclusion & Next Steps