Despite the growing use of AI in advertising, there is a lack of research on how specific mechanisms, such as third-party certification/assurance (TPCA) seals and quick response (QR) codes, influence consumer perceptions and behaviour. This research addresses this gap by investigating the effects of TPCA seals and QR codes on consumer trust and purchase intention for AI-generated advertisements. Grounded in Signaling Theory, this study examines TPCA seals as institutional credibility signals and QR codes as signals of transparency that reduce information asymmetry in AI-based advertising environments. This study used a survey-based randomised within-subjects experimental design to assess consumer trust and purchase intention towards three types of advertisements: AI-generated advertisements with QR codes only, AI-generated advertisements with TPCA seals only, and AI-generated advertisements without TPCA seals and QR codes. The experimental design allowed for a causal examination of how different signaling mechanisms affect the development of trust and behavioral intention. The study found that AI-generated advertisements with TPCA seals modestly increased consumer trust and purchase intent compared to AI-generated advertisements without QR codes and TPCA seals. Similarly, AI-generated advertisements with QR codes modestly increased consumer trust but did not increase purchase intent compared to AI-generated advertisements without QR codes and TPCA seals. The results indicate that different types of credibility signals have differential effects on trust and purchase intention, consistent with predictions from signaling theory that signals differ by strength and by behavioral translation. This study contributes to the literature by distinguishing between institutional credibility signals (TPCA seals) and transparency-based signals (QR codes) in AI-generated advertising, and by demonstrating their distinct and context-specific effects on trust and behavioural intention. Importantly, the findings provide a more nuanced understanding of how different verification mechanisms operate through distinct cognitive pathways, highlighting the boundary between trust formation and behavioural conversion in AI-generated advertising contexts. The findings of this study provide preliminary yet practically relevant insights for marketers seeking to design ethically responsible AI-generated advertisements, and offer a grounded basis for policymakers exploring proportionate regulatory approaches to transparency and accountability in AI-driven advertising environments. • QR codes serve as trust-building cues in AI-generated advertising. • Third-party certification (TPCA) seals offer stronger trust signals than QR codes and slightly boost purchase intention. • Consumer factors like age, income, attitudes toward technology, and familiarity with QR codes influence trust and purchase intention in AI-driven ads.
Sarran et al. (2026) studied this question.