AI slop—low-quality, mass-produced automated content—is one of the greatest threats to brand trust, according to a report from B2C CRM Klaviyo.
In APAC, more than half of consumers (51%) frequently spot low-quality AI-driven content in their social media feeds and replies, creating “a high bar for quality and a low tolerance for lazy automation,” the report said in a release.
Thirty percent of the APAC population now uses AI several times a week, outpacing the US (26%) and Europe (27%). The report says this has resulted in the world’s most skeptical audience. Currently, only 5% of shoppers in the region report fully trusting AI-generated brand content, compared with 12% in the US and 16% in Europe.
This has created what the report describes as “an identity crisis for brands,” with 63% of shoppers previously mistaking human-written content for AI.
Although consumers in the region lead the world in AI adoption, they have one of the highest bars for authenticity.
The research lands in APAC as Singapore’s 2026 budget places AI front and centre, committing over S$1 billion to AI infrastructure, talent and adoption through 2030 alongside a National AI Council to provide strategic direction ,the report notes.
The investment comes as public concern regarding deepfakes and content farms increases, highlighting tension between rapid AI adoption and human-centric oversight to maintain consumer trust.
Despite skepticism, AI usage remains high in the purchase process. According to the Klaviyo report, 78% of shoppers in APAC have used AI to compare brands or get product recommendations.
Usage is particularly high in the electronics sector, where 66% of shoppers use AI tools. Men are 35% more likely than women to have purchased a product recommended by an AI tool.
“The honeymoon phase with AI is officially over for shoppers across Asia Pacific. Although consumers in the region lead the world in AI adoption, they have one of the highest bars for authenticity,” said Marcus Rossato, head of marketing APJ at Klaviyo.
“For younger audiences and daily users, generic AI content isn’t just ineffective — it actively damages brand equity.”
“What our data shows is that brands must move beyond using AI for mere efficiency and toward using it for emotion. The opportunity for brands in 2026 is not to scale content faster, but to scale usefulness. In a world of automated noise, the brands that maintain a human connection will be the ones that survive the slop era.”
