Transparency can change how people read the same design
A new study from Georgia State and the University of South Florida finds that people may judge products as less sustainable when told they were designed by AI—even when the product itself is more efficient.
Consumers in the study rated products lower on sustainability when they learned AI had designed them.
The Story
Researchers report that across controlled experiments, designer interviews, and a live Meta advertising test, participants tended to rate a product as less sustainable when told it had been designed by AI. ([ebs.publicnow.com](https://ebs.publicnow.com/view/21251B165C7A5FB7D79EB6E245521680F8B051D7?utm_source=openai))
That does not prove that audiences reject AI in every context. It does show that process information changes perception, especially when a product’s promise depends on care, responsibility, or human values.
For Studio Wensday, the takeaway is strategic: decide what to disclose, explain where AI assisted, and keep the human rationale visible. Provenance is becoming part of the experience—not merely a footnote in the production file.
Studio Wensday Angle
The story behind the making can alter the meaning of the thing made.