Short answer

When marketing products with AI-generated elements, use the term 'created' to foster a stronger perception of value and uniqueness, thereby increasing consumer willingness to pay.

Field
Innovation & Markets
Source
Psychology and Marketing (2025)
Method
Experimental research
Evidence
Strong effect

Consumers are willing to pay more for products when AI-generated visuals are described as 'created' rather than 'generated', suggesting that the language used to describe AI's role significantly impacts perceived value. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Psychology and Marketing. Using Experimental research, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When marketing products with AI-generated elements, use the term 'created' to foster a stronger perception of value and uniqueness, thereby increasing consumer willingness to pay.

Study
Innovation & MarketsNew This WeekStrong effect

Framing AI-Generated Visuals as 'Created' Increases Consumer Willingness to Pay

Consumers are willing to pay more for products when AI-generated visuals are described as 'created' rather than 'generated', suggesting that the language used to describe AI's role significantly impacts perceived value.

Psychology and Marketing · 2025

01

Key Findings

  • 01Framing AI visuals as 'created' increases consumer willingness to pay compared to 'generated'.
  • 02Savoring (enjoyment of contemplating deeper meaning) mediates the relationship between 'creation' framing and willingness to pay.
  • 03The 'creation' framing effect is weaker for concrete visuals than abstract ones.
  • 04High levels of human-AI collaboration in product development reduce the positive impact of 'creation' framing.
02

Application

Design takeaway

When marketing products with AI-generated elements, use the term 'created' to foster a stronger perception of value and uniqueness, thereby increasing consumer willingness to pay.

How to apply

When developing marketing materials for a new product that utilizes AI-generated imagery or design elements, test different linguistic framings ('created' vs. 'generated') to see which yields higher consumer interest and willingness to pay.

Project actions

  • 01When discussing AI in your design project, be mindful of the words you use to describe its role.
  • 02Consider how your choice of words might influence how someone perceives the value or uniqueness of a design.
03

Method & Evidence

AimHow does framing AI-generated visuals as 'created' versus 'generated' affect consumer willingness to pay, and what psychological mechanisms and moderating factors influence this effect?
MethodExperimental research
ProcedureParticipants were exposed to product visuals described using either 'creation' or 'generation' framing. Their willingness to pay was then measured, along with psychological mediators and moderators such as perceived value, savoring, visual concreteness, and human-AI collaboration levels.
ContextConsumer marketing and product development involving AI-generated visuals

Variables

IVFraming of AI visuals ('created' vs. 'generated')
DVConsumer willingness to pay
CVConcreteness of visual, level of human-AI collaboration
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Investigates a novel and timely aspect of AI marketing.
  • +Examines psychological mediators and moderators for a deeper understanding.

Limitations

The specific AI tools and the complexity of the AI's role in the design process might not be fully captured in a simplified experiment.

Reliability & validity

The study's validity is supported by examining mediating and moderating factors. Reliability would depend on the consistency of results across different participant groups and experimental conditions.

Think critically

To what extent does the perceived 'effort' or 'intent' behind AI 'creation' influence its value compared to human creation?

05

Design Principles

"Language framing in AI product marketing significantly influences consumer perception of value and willingness to pay."

This research highlights the subtle yet powerful influence of language in marketing AI-powered products. Designers and marketers can leverage this insight to frame AI's contribution in a way that enhances consumer perception and potentially increases market competitiveness.

06

What This Means for Your Design

If you describe something made by AI as 'created' instead of 'generated', people will think it's more special and be willing to pay more for it.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this study when discussing the marketing or communication strategy for a product involving AI-generated elements, particularly if you are exploring how to present its features to potential users.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The framing of AI's contribution significantly impacts consumer perception. Research indicates that describing AI-generated visuals as 'created' rather than 'generated' can increase consumer willingness to pay by enhancing perceptions of product value and fostering deeper engagement with the product's meaning.

09

Source

Psychology and Marketing

Framing the Future: How AI's Creation Versus Generation Visuals Affects Consumer Willingness to Pay

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about framing ai-generated visuals as 'created' increases consumer willingness to pay?
When marketing products with AI-generated elements, use the term 'created' to foster a stronger perception of value and uniqueness, thereby increasing consumer willingness to pay. Evidence: Psychology and Marketing (2025).
Why does "Framing AI-Generated Visuals as 'Created' Increases Consumer Willingness to Pay" matter for design?
This research highlights the subtle yet powerful influence of language in marketing AI-powered products. Designers and marketers can leverage this insight to frame AI's contribution in a way that enhances consumer perception and potentially increases market competitiveness.
How can designers apply this research?
When marketing products with AI-generated elements, use the term 'created' to foster a stronger perception of value and uniqueness, thereby increasing consumer willingness to pay.
What were the main findings?
Framing AI visuals as 'created' increases consumer willingness to pay compared to 'generated'.. Savoring (enjoyment of contemplating deeper meaning) mediates the relationship between 'creation' framing and willingness to pay.. The 'creation' framing effect is weaker for concrete visuals than abstract ones.. High levels of human-AI collaboration in product development reduce the positive impact of 'creation' framing.
What research method was used?
Experimental research.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Psychology and Marketing.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When developing marketing materials for a new product that utilizes AI-generated imagery or design elements, test different linguistic framings ('created' vs. 'generated') to see which yields higher consumer interest and willingness to pay.
What are the limitations?
The study's findings may be context-dependent and could vary across different product categories, cultures, and consumer demographics. The specific AI technologies and collaboration models used in the experiments might also influence generalizability.