New Study: AI Ads Match Human Creative in Major Report from Columbia University, Harvard University, Technical University of Munich, and Carnegie Mellon University; Taboola Data Shows AI Wins by Appearing Authentically Human and Prioritizing Visual Trust Signals

HONG KONG, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Taboola, a global leader in delivering performance at scale for advertisers, today announced the findings of a major field study conducted in collaboration with researchers at Columbia University, Harvard University,Technical University of Munich, and Carnegie Mellon University. The research provides the first-ever look at how generative AI (GenAI) compares to human creativity in driving consumer action by analyzing large-scale real-world ad performance.

While GenAI has revolutionized production speed and cost, its impact on actual performance has remained a subject of intense debate. The new study, titled, "AI Ads That Work: How AI Creative Stacks Up Against Humans," analyzed hundreds of thousands of live ads running on Realize, Taboola's performance advertising platform, totaling more than 500 million impressions and 3 million clicks.

Key insights from the academic research include:

• GenAI ads perform just as well as human-made ads: AI-generated ads performed just as well as human-made ads. In raw data, AI ads saw a slightly higher average click-through-rate (CTR) (0.76%) compared to human ads (0.65%), though they performed comparably when researchers applied the tightest statistical controls.
• AI ads win the most when they don't "look" like AI: AI-generated ads that did not "look like AI" achieved the highest engagement of all groups, significantly outperforming both human-made ads and AI ads that were perceived as artificial.
• Human faces are the "secret ingredient" for trust: The study found that one of the most important factors in making an ad feel "human" and trustworthy was the presence of a large, clear human face. Interestingly, based on Taboola's best practices and policy restrictions, AI-generated ads were more likely to include these trust cues than their human-made counterparts.
• Brands no longer have to choose between speed and quality: AI-generated visuals increased or maintained click-through rates without reducing downstream conversion performance, proving that advertisers do not have to trade quality or conversions for production scale.
• Food, drink, and finance brands were among the first to adopt AI ads: Specific sectors; most notably, the "food and drink" and "personal finance" industries were early to adopt AI ads.

"Taboola's platform provided us with a literal gold mine of real-world data that is simply unavailable in a lab setting. By analyzing over 500 million impressions, we were able to move past the hype of GenAI and uncover its real impact in large scale settings," said Oded Netzer, Vice Dean for Research, Columbia Business School. "Our findings prove that when AI is used to enhance human cues—like the trust found in a human face—it doesn't just match human performance; it often sets a new ceiling for engagement."

Methodology

The study utilized a quasi-experimental "sibling ads" approach, comparing matched pairs of AI-generated and human-made ads created by the same advertiser for the same campaign on the same day. This methodology allowed researchers to isolate the impact of the GenAI creative while controlling for external variables like the identity of the advertiser, timing, audience targeting, and landing pages.

About Taboola 

Taboola empowers businesses to grow through performance advertising technology that goes beyond search and social and delivers measurable outcomes at scale.

Taboola works with thousands of businesses who advertise directly on Realize, Taboola's powerful ad platform, reaching approximately 600M daily active users across some of the best publishers in the world. Publishers like NBC News, Yahoo, and OEMs such as Samsung, Xiaomi and others use Taboola's technology to grow audience and revenue, enabling Realize to offer unique data, specialized algorithms, and unmatched scale.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

New Study: AI Ads Match Human Creative in Major Report from Columbia University, Harvard University, Technical University of Munich, and Carnegie Mellon University; Taboola Data Shows AI Wins by Appearing Authentically Human and Prioritizing Visual Trust Signals

BEIJING, April 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Shanghai Fashion Week has risen to the fourth place globally, overtaking New York, according to a report released Thursday in Shanghai. The Global Fashion Industry Index-Fashion Week Vitality Index Report (2025), issued by China Economic Information Service, describes Shanghai as the fastest-growing node city in the global fashion landscape.

Paris and Milan fashion weeks retained the top two positions globally. London and Shanghai ranked third and fourth, with commercial vibrancy and digital transformation cited as their core competitiveness.

For the first time, the report added a "commercial trade activity" indicator to quantify each fashion week's ability to integrate commercial resources and convert them into market transactions. Shanghai Fashion Week recorded 1,217 trade brands, second only to Paris, and operated seven digital trade platforms which is the highest figure among all eight fashion weeks surveyed.

The report noted persistent gaps. Shanghai Fashion Week's 23 product categories and average transaction price of 420 U.S. dollars represent only 64 percent and 54 percent of Paris Fashion Week's figures respectively, reflecting a market still dominated by mid-range and emerging brands but with significant growth potential.

In the elements aggregation dimension, Paris and Milan led with 429 and 387 participating brands and 544 and 529 events respectively, while Shanghai hosted around 200 events and distinguished itself through new brand participation. In industry influence, Shanghai ranked first globally in the number of designers, and its innovation trend score also placed near the top.

China's apparel and fashion retail market reached nearly 460 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, maintaining its position as the world's largest single market. Global fashion e-commerce penetration rate rose from 18 percent in 2020 to approximately 36 percent in 2025, surpassing 45 percent in emerging markets.

On sustainability, approximately 72 percent of global consumers said they were willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, with most accepting a markup of 5 to 10 percent. The report devoted a dedicated chapter to artificial intelligence, noting that 58 to 60 percent of global fashion retailers have integrated AI into operations and marketing.

The report concluded that Shanghai Fashion Week is at a critical transition from scale expansion to capability upgrading, and should deepen integration of local culture, contemporary design and haute couture to strengthen its role as a commercial hub connecting design with consumption.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/350009.html

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

Xinhua Silk Road: Shanghai Fashion Week ranks 4th in latest vitality index report