A new report from Omnisend reveals that consumer trust in online product reviews remains high, with 84% of Americans trusting them, even as widespread skepticism grows around "AI slop" and algorithmically generated content.

Generative AI has enabled content production at an unprecedented scale but failed to scale consumer trust, according to searchenginejournal.com. This paradox marks a critical inflection point for brands: authentic human feedback, particularly verifiable product reviews, is now an increasingly valuable asset for establishing credibility and influencing the AI systems reshaping consumer product discovery.

What We Know So Far

  • A January 2026 study from Omnisend found that 84% of Americans trust online product reviews, and 33% report trusting them more than they did two years ago.
  • Despite this high trust, separate research from Capital One indicates that 82% of consumers encountered fake reviews in the past year, with an estimated 30% of all online reviews being "fake or ungenuine," as reported by digitalcommerce360.com.
  • Consumer caution towards AI is significant, with 93% of U.S. consumers stating they double-check AI-generated recommendations before making a purchase, and 27% always verifying the information first.
  • Generative AI systems themselves prioritize signals from real human experiences, relying heavily on online reviews, community forums, and social media conversations to formulate answers.
  • In response to these trends, customer feedback platform Trustpilot has launched new tools designed to help companies optimize the collection and use of genuine customer reviews to guide decision-making and improve visibility within generative AI.

New Report: AI Content Skepticism vs. Review Trust

The Omnisend report highlights a complex landscape for marketers and consumers: while wary of artificial or unverified content, consumers lean heavily on the perceived authenticity of peer-to-peer reviews. This creates "a kind of loop where people are overwhelmingly skeptical of AI, yet still depend on content that AI can easily manipulate." This reliance persists even with acknowledged fraudulent feedback; Amazon, for instance, blocked over 275 million fake reviews in 2024 alone.

In an environment saturated with AI-generated text, consumers actively seek human validation, "naturally turning to other people for reassurance," as digitalcommerce360.com noted. This elevates the strategic importance of earned media and user-generated content. For brands, the challenge extends beyond generating positive reviews to fostering an ecosystem of trust where feedback is demonstrably authentic and transparent, thereby standing out from automated content.