PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—A new survey released by Hub Entertainment Research found a majority of viewers want to know when something they’re watching was created by artificial intelligence.
In the November survey, two-thirds of respondents said that any content made with AI should be “clearly and obviously labeled,” and another 26% said there should be an easy way for viewers to check if the title they’re watching contains any AI content. Only 6% said platforms don’t need to inform viewers about the use of AI.
Hub Entertainment Research’s first study on AI in Entertainment revealed that although most consumers have heard of generative AI, very few feel as if they understand how it works or what it’s for. When it comes to producing entertainment, there are some tasks consumers want to remain the purview of real live humans.
Most consumers are aware of generative AI, but few feel confident they understand it. Over 70% of respondents are familiar with the term “generative AI,” and more than half (57%) say they’ve used a generative AI product like ChatGPT or others. However, only 18% are “very confident” they could explain to someone else what generative AI is or how it works.
The vast majority of respondents have at least some concerns about AI, with two-thirds very worried about undetectable “deepfakes” and potential loss of privacy, and most (57%) worried about people losing their jobs to AI. These concerns are shared even among those who think AI will be positive for society in general.
While consumers strongly prefer human creativity for tasks like writing scripts, dialogue and music, they are equally or more comfortable with AI handling technical tasks such as creating CGI effects and writing subtitles or descriptions.
They’re also more comfortable with AI when it comes to better content discovery. Three-quarters of respondents said they were somewhat or very interested in AI applications to analyze their viewing across platforms to give better recommendations (76%), recommend shows for particular situations like watching with others (77%) or to summarize all the reviews of a show before they decide to watch (74%).
“Consumers don’t understand AI yet, but they know enough to feel concerned about the impact on society and on entertainment in particular,” Jon Giegengack, principal at Hub and one of the study authors, said. “Studios and distributors should prioritize tasks viewers are comfortable with (like better discovery), and tread lightly on creative tasks where they prefer real humans. Perhaps most importantly, they should be up front with audiences about how and when AI is used.”
Hub’s 2024 “AI & Entertainment” report is based on a survey conducted among 2,540 US consumers with broadband, age 16-74, who watch at least 1 hour of TV per week. Interviews were conducted in November 2024 and explored consumers’ awareness and attitudes about AI in entertainment.