Trust on the Line: A Call Through AI’s Flames

If even a Macron–Trump street call sparks “is this AI?” comments, imagine what your brand is up against. In the AI fakery era, how do brands prove credibility and win trust? In this post, we unpack real-world examples, transparency tactics, and why trust has become today’s ultimate differentiator.

3 min read

Each time I open my social media, I get mental paralysis (literally). A new AI tool here, a new launch there—this week it was Alibaba’s Wan 2.2 Animate. Mind-blowing, impressive stuff. I whispered an excited “wow” (can’t help it, this means more tools for one of my clients). Then the more sobering thought kicked in: how do we even trust what we’re seeing anymore?

In 2025, the real scarcity isn’t attention—it’s trust. We’ve entered an era where every image, every video, every “moment” could be fabricated in minutes. Consumers are now living in a “seeing isn’t believing” world. That doubt spills over onto brands.

In the age of AI fakery, trust is currency, and credibility is the only product every brand must sell.

The Scroll Test: Brut’s Macron’s call clip

Today I scrolled across the perfect example on Instagram, Brut, the French media outlet, posted a clip of Macron leaving the UN and getting stuck in New York traffic because Trump’s motorcade had shut everything down. Macron picked up the phone and joked, almost like a friend blocked outside a nightclub: “How are you? Guess what? I’m waiting in the street because everything is closed for you.” He then walked thirty minutes to his destination, stopping for selfies with fans along the way.

The scene was so surreal it felt fake—just like Macron’s $113 billion AI investment announcement. My first instinct wasn’t to laugh, it was to doubt. I dove into the comments searching: “Is this AI? Is this fake?” That’s where we are now: skepticism first, trust second. Only after that did I let myself laugh out loud.

Brut knows this. They made the post as a double collaboration with the journalist who filmed it, so it appeared on both accounts. That simple publising choice wasn’t just about giving credit—it was about credibility. It was a signal: this was recorded by a real human, in real time. And in today’s world, that extra step makes all the difference. It whispered: “Yes, this is real.”

Credibility today is built in the margins—like a journalist tag that quietly reassures you, this is legit.

Why Brands Can’t Hide

This is the new battleground. Customers assume fakery unless proven otherwise. Which means marketers need to lead with transparency:

  1. Disclose AI upfront. Don’t wait for regulation—be the brand that owns it.

  2. Tag your humans. Writers, creators, journalists—name them. Giving credit builds trust.

  3. Anchor in proof. Timestamps, behind-the-scenes clips, or light watermarks can ground your message.

Transparency, values, and ethics aren’t optional anymore. They’re the foundation of sustainable trust.

Trust is the new luxury — and the only thing AI can’t generate. Yet?

Trust as the Differentiator

Here’s the reality: competitors can copy your features, match your price, even outspend you on ads. But if people believe you more, you win. That belief doesn’t just earn loyalty—it shapes the rules of the game.

This is where regulation lags behind. The EU’s AI Act and U.S. proposals are still evolving, vague, and reactive. Which means brands themselves are setting the standard, showing consumers what responsible AI use looks like. Each disclosure, each transparent choice, is like writing an unwritten line in the emerging law of AI ethics.

Every time a brand discloses or chooses transparency, it isn’t just winning trust—it’s shaping the social contract of AI.

Virality fades. Novelty fades. Trust compounds.

When Trust Is Already on Fire

Alibaba’s Wan2.2Animate reminded me how fast the line between real and fabricated is blurring. Soon, it’ll be impossible to tell the difference. The only way forward isn’t perfection or polish—it’s over-communicating trust.

The Edelman Trust Barometer has already shown that trust is in crisis globally, with business ranked as both the most trusted and the most distrusted institution depending on who you ask. AI could just throw gasoline on that fire.

And that’s the marketer’s opportunity. Not to be the loudest. Not to be the flashiest. To be the most believable. Because winning customers today isn’t about having the most advanced tech—it’s about being the one voice they believe.

Topic: Winning Customer Trust in the era of AI.