What We Are Exploring

Our research begins with a question: how do people respond when both human minds and machine intelligence shape stories? From the peaceful rhythms of Li Ziqi’s videos that invite viewers into a slower, more sensory world facilitated by algorithms to the polished and synthetic feel of AI-generated advertising, we explore how audiences search for authenticity, interpret emotion, and evaluate creative effort. Through experimental studies, machine learning-based data mining, and interviews, we investigate how people engage with content, whether they feel emotionally transported, grow skeptical of AI-generated material, or navigate the space between trust and persuasion. Across platforms and contexts, our work examines how storytelling changes when technology becomes part of the creative voice.

Algorithm-Shaped Norms

Feng, Y., & Chen, H. (2025). Algorithm-shaped norms: How YouTube’s comment ranking algorithm influences consumer reactions to social issue campaigns. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal . https://doi.org/10.1108/QMR-10-2024-0213 Purpose Brands often launch social issue campaigns on platforms like YouTube to stimulate consumer conversation, with varying impacts on the original campaign. Building on the literature on algorithmic popularity bias and social norm

Nov 11, 20251 min read

Consumer Empowerment through Generative Artificial Intelligence

Feng, Y., & Sun, Y. (2025). Consumer empowerment through generative artificial intelligence: Enhancing brand narrative with collaboration, creation, and communication. International Journal of Advertising , 1-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2025.2547545 Despite its growing popularity, little is known about how brands’ use of generative AI (GenAI) to invite consumers to co-create brand-related content affects consumer empowerment and advertising outcomes. This practice re

Nov 11, 20251 min read

Decoding the Trust Matrix

Feng, Y., & Kim, H. J. (2025). Decoding the trust matrix: Unraveling key predictors of consumer trust in AI-generated personalized advertising. Journal of Interactive Advertising , 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2025.2468286 Artificial intelligence (ai)-generated personalized advertising (aiGpa) refers to the practice of marketers employing advanced machine learning algorithms to leverage consumer data for creating relevant advertising content at a reduced cost. In th

Nov 11, 20251 min read

The AI Genie in the Bottle

Feng, Y. (2025). The AI Genie in the Bottle: Charting AI Evolution and Aversion in Advertising. Journal of Interactive Advertising , 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2025.2537019 This project advances understanding of AI-generated advertising by conceptualizing AI aversion and examining how it emerges in response to different AI-involved advertising frames. Through a systematic review of 20 years of advertising research, we identify key domains of AI application and hi

Nov 11, 20251 min read

Mitigating AI Aversion

Feng, Y., Zuo, X., & Kim, H. (2025, March). Mitigating AI aversion: The role of human effort in AI-labeled ads. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of American Academy of Advertising, Pittsburgh, PA. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) offers cost-effective solutions for content creation, particularly for small businesses. However, once disclosed, AI-generated advertising faces challenges due to consumers’ AI aversion. Notably, previous research has provided mixed re

Nov 11, 20251 min read

Algorithmic Immersion Across Cultures

Zuo, X., & Feng, Y. (2025, August). Immersed across cultures: Narrative transportation, platform affordances, and Li ziqi’s global appeal on YouTube. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of AEJMC, San Francisco, CA. This research examines how global audiences engage with Li Ziqi’s YouTube videos through narrative transportation, emphasizing YouTube’s role in facilitating this process. By increasing accessibility and interactivity, the platform supports deeper immersion, h

Nov 11, 20251 min read

Understanding Authenticity in the Age of AI

Feng, Y., Yang, J., Youngs, K., & Chien, T.-H. (2025, August). Authenticity construction: Cognitive pathways and AI heuristics in interpreting authenticity of AI-generated advertising. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of AEJMC, San Francisco, CA. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in advertising has challenged traditional notions of authenticity, as AI-generated advertising (AIGA) leverages advanced generative models to create synthetic branded content. Thus, re

Nov 11, 20251 min read