22/01/2026 • Andrew Lowdon
How AI-Generated Images Affect Consumer Trust and Conversion
CRO & UX Article
Introduction
AI visuals are now everywhere on websites. They look sharp and modern, often even better than stock photos. It’s no surprise that teams use them to save time and keep pages looking fresh.
The problem is perception. Many users see AI imagery as fake or unreliable, and that doubt can spill over into how they judge the brand itself. It’s best to label an image as AI-generated rather than letting it pass as real. In fact, 62% of consumers feel more trust when brands are upfront about using AI. AI visuals can be used in some cases, but honestly, you can’t go wrong using a real image.
In this post, we will explain why this perception happens and outline practical ways to build trust with potential users.
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Why People Instinctively Distrust Artificial Images
People trust real images because they feel familiar. When visitors see a photo of a person or workspace, they do not stop to analyse it. They instinctively read facial expressions, posture, and surroundings to judge credibility.
AI-generated images disrupt this natural judgment. Even when polished, subtle artificial traits are often detectable. Studies show 54% of AI-generated images are correctly identified as fake. More than half of users may hesitate to use your site or distrust it.
This reaction comes from missing imperfections. Real photos contain uneven lighting, natural expressions, and lived-in environments. These flaws signal authenticity and make interactions feel safer.
The Uncanny Valley Effect
The uncanny valley effect explains why almost-human images feel uncomfortable. When a visual looks close to real but contains subtle artificial traits, the brain senses something is wrong without conscious thought.
Small inconsistencies trigger this response. Smiles may appear too perfect, eyes unnaturally bright, or skin overly smooth. These details create tension instead of familiarity.
That discomfort reduces trust. Research shows images perceived as artificial can lower trust by 15–23%, which directly affects actions such as sign-ups and paid upgrades.
Even minor signs of artificiality can cause hesitation. A visual that feels unreliable, users slow down or disengage instead of moving forward.
Where AI Imagery Becomes a Conversion Risk
AI visuals become risky when placed in sections that are intended to build trust. The most sensitive areas include pricing, security information, founder messages, and testimonial sections.
Pricing Sections
In the pricing section, subtle signs of artificiality can affect trust. For example, an AI-generated executive portrait is placed beside trust claims such as “Used by 500+ teams” or “Trusted by industry leaders.”
An image that appears artificial can weaken those claims rather than reinforce them. Instead of signalling scale and reliability, it may raise questions about whether the company is overstating its legitimacy.
Other pages use AI-generated faces to create urgency, pairing a synthetic “sales contact” with messages such as “Talk to Robert for a custom deal.” When visitors sense the image is not real, the tactic can feel manipulative rather than helpful. This creates a subtle emotional conflict at a point where clarity and honesty are critical.
Tips to get it right
- If you show a person, make them verifiable. Use real employee photos with names, roles, and links (e.g., “Jane Smith, Enterprise Sales Lead – LinkedIn”). If that’s not possible, don’t use a face.
- Anchor trust claims in evidence, not imagery. Replace portraits next to statements like “Used by 500+ teams” with customer logos, short case metrics, or third-party badges.
- Avoid persona-based urgency. Remove messages such as “Talk to Robert for a custom deal” unless Robert is a real contact who will respond. Use neutral copy, such as “Request a custom quote,” instead.
Trust grows when every element on the pricing page aligns with reality. This reduces doubt and hesitation.
Security Pages
Some brands (especially start-ups or template-built sites) generate visual diagrams of authentication, payments, integrations, and cloud infrastructure using AI rather than having their engineer design them. AI might produce diagrams that contain:
- Arrows pointing in impossible directions, suggesting data flows backwards into external tools
- Stack names that are misspelt (“CloudFlare” as “CloudFare”, “PostgreSQL” as “PostgressL”)
- Invented acronyms that are not real security standards
- Cloud icons are duplicated in ways that imply redundant steps that would never exist in a real pipeline.
To a casual visitor, it may look advanced. To a technical user, it appears to be a company that does not understand its own infrastructure. Potential users may assume the product has hidden risks if even basic data paths are inaccurately displayed.
Tips to get it right
- Have an engineer sign off on each diagram. Assign ownership to a backend, infra, or security engineer who can verify data direction, dependencies, and failure points before the diagram goes live.
- Use official icon libraries and naming conventions. Pull cloud, database, and security icons directly from providers (AWS, GCP, Azure) and copy names exactly from vendor documentation.
- Lock data-flow directionality. Arrows should always represent one clear action (e.g., request, response, encryption, storage). Never reuse arrows decoratively or bi-directionally unless technically accurate.
- Remove invented or ambiguous standards. Only include certifications, protocols, or acronyms that can be externally verified (e.g., OAuth 2.0, TLS 1.3). If it cannot be found on Google, it should not appear.
Mistakes, even small ones, can create doubt about security practices and reliability, so every visual should reflect the real system clearly and consistently.
“Meet the Team” Pages
AI often generates new faces each time, so the “team members” in one image look nothing like those in the next. For example, one photo shows a person with curly hair, and another shows a person with straight hair; two images show entirely different offices and uniforms. Some people’s facial structures change subtly from image to image.
Others also use AI-generated collages for “team culture,” like a fake “whiteboard brainstorming session” where the writing is gibberish. This sounds too impossible, but yes, some brands have absurd AI visuals you can't imagine.
Tips to get it right
- Use real employee photos whenever possible. Each team member should be represented accurately, with their real face, role, and name.
- Maintain consistency across the page. Ensure lighting, background, and style are uniform for all photos so the team appears cohesive and professional.
Show the page to someone unfamiliar with the team. If they notice inconsistencies in the photos, revise before publishing.
Social Proof Pages
Testimonials are among the pages where some brands might use AI-images to prove and make it feel like there are “happy clients” using their product.
In a study on customer reactions to generative AI versus real images, participants avoided services advertised with AI-generated images compared with those advertised with real photos.
Even if there are only one to three testimonials that are not real, the impact spreads across the entire set of testimonials. Some common examples that are often mistaken as real photos are formatted like:
- A customer is pointing at a screen, but their hand is hovering impossibly above a laptop keyboard
- A team is collaborating with the software, but people are looking in different directions or with inconsistent lighting.
- A user looking satisfied at a dashboard, but with overly symmetrical faces
Companies need to be careful when choosing visuals for content that demands trust. Social proof is meant to reassure and validate, not to raise doubts.
3 Best Image Styles That Support Strong Conversion
1. Team visuals that show real personalities
Almost anyone wants to see the faces of the people who built the product, whether it was captured with a professional camera or a mobile phone. A real image of a founder at a desk or a designer working on a screen creates a stronger connection. The image does not need perfect lighting or dramatic staging.
A good example is Asana’s team page, which features real team members in relaxed settings, in poses and expressions they feel comfortable with. There are no fancy or unusual features; everything is straight from the camera lens.
2. Clear product visuals that show what users get
Screenshots, clean interface shots, and simple device frames help visitors see the product without guessing. Everyone wants to see what they are getting. People want to judge the layout's clarity and ease of use.
Notion follows this very well. Their screenshots show actual layouts and content. The platform is presented in a simple frame. You can understand the tool at a glance. There are no complicated graphics or AI-generated features that could confuse visitors.
3. Candid team shots that feel open and friendly
A relaxed moment in the office or a natural look from a team member feels genuine. This confidence carries into the conversion path. Candid visuals often work better than posed ones because they feel truthful.
On Clay’s About page, their team photos are unforced. You’ll see team members in collaborative settings, naturally positioned, not overly posed.
The best visuals strike a balance between clarity and warmth. It makes the team and the product feel approachable and trustworthy. They don’t hide flaws or rely on staged expressions. Instead, they let people imagine how the product fits into everyday use. When this sense of authenticity comes through, it makes decisions easier and conversions more likely.
Get more insights on creating high-converting landing pages.
When is the Time AI Images Still Work Safely
In some cases, design teams need to explain easy processes, and AI-generated illustrations help translate those concepts into clear shapes and colours that people can understand.
Concept Illustrations for Simple Workflows
For multi-step workflows, such as onboarding or data syncing, AI can generate simple icons for each step. This is clearer than using photos of people thinking or typing.
For example: a soft circle for “upload,” a stylised lightning bolt for “trigger,” and a cloud for “sync.” These can communicate the idea without overwhelming the user. Since there’s no attempt to simulate real people, the visitor understands the process without any weird emotional tug.
Non-Human Imagery for Themes and Mood
AI can create realistic or slightly stylised tech gadgets (such as simplified laptops, mobile devices, or data servers), globes, or symbolic tools (keys, locks) that convey meaning without appearing personified. Just make sure to zoom in and check if it is perfectly crafted.
You can also use it in geometric designs like soft cubes, interconnected nodes, or wireframe spheres. These shapes suggest structure, connectivity, and innovation. These non-human visuals rarely trigger the kind of dissonance that AI sometimes does. They enhance the theme and enrich the page design.
For a comprehensive guide on how to keep your pages consistent, including design tips and visual strategies, see this post.
The Risks of AI-Generated Images on Page Performance
Google clearly warns against mass-produced or low-quality content created primarily to manipulate rankings, including AI-generated materials. As Alex Gower points out in this quote.
AI-generated images that feel generic or out of place can make a page seem low-value. That not only affects how search engines see the page but also how users interact with it. Pages that lack originality or fail to offer something unique struggle to meet user intent, which can hurt both rankings and traffic.
AI visuals can also lead to a 58% bounce rate and an average engagement time of just 8.5 seconds, compared with 10.2 seconds for human-created visuals. Lower engagement and higher bounce rates indicate a page isn’t resonating with users, reducing conversion opportunities.
On top of that, AI images tie into Google’s E-E-A-T framework. If visuals don’t feel trustworthy, authentic, or connected to authoritative content, they can subtly harm credibility.
If your images don’t look right, trust goes out the window. Stick with real visuals—it just works.
Bottom Line
Professional stock images or custom photography currently outperform AI visuals when it comes to building trust and driving conversions across SaaS platforms.
This is not a permanent limitation, as consumer acceptance will evolve. But right now, your brand should prioritise authentic images as they work best for converting prospects.
If you need help with creative design, SEO, CRO, or any other marketing service, at 43 Clicks North, we can refine your strategy and turn first impressions into real growth. Get in touch with our team!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Should AI visuals be avoided during major product launches?
Yes. Launch pages demand maximum credibility. Real photography and accurate product screenshots perform best for early adoption and conversions.
2. Is it safe to combine AI-generated and real images on the same page?
It can work if AI-generated visuals are clearly non-human or abstract, whereas real photos depict people and trust elements.
3. Do AI visuals affect trust differently for first-time vs returning visitors?
Yes. First-time visitors scrutinise visuals more closely and are more likely to notice subtle artificial traits. Returning visitors may be more accepting of AI if they already trust the brand.
4. Does AI imagery affect international audiences differently?
Yes. Cultural nuances in expressions or gestures may appear unnatural when AI-generated, reducing relatability and trust in some regions.
5. How should AI visuals be credited on a website?
Label them clearly, either with “AI-generated” captions or in alt text. Transparency signals honesty and improves trust.
