AI is changing the way media is created — not just behind the scenes, but increasingly in the foreground of our everyday information diets. Newsrooms use it to speed up content workflows, brands rely on it for copy, and influencers generate posts without ever writing a word themselves. Yet most audiences still can’t tell what’s human, what’s hybrid, and what’s machine-made. This project investigates that uncertainty.

Invisible Influence is AICommLab’s flagship research initiative exploring how people across Southeast Asia perceive credibility and trust in media created with generative AI. Through experimental surveys, interviews with media professionals, and content analysis of real-world media, we aim to uncover how users respond to AI-written content — especially when disclosure is minimal or missing. Our custom FRAME model helps assess how narrative agency shifts as algorithms take on a larger role in storytelling.

We’re especially interested in how this dynamic plays out in Thailand and across the region, where media trust, digital habits, and cultural attitudes toward AI diverge from Western norms. The findings will inform ethical guidelines, audience education, and future consulting frameworks on AI communication.

“Understanding how AI alters our perception of credibility is essential not only for ethical media creation, but also for safeguarding public trust in an increasingly synthetic information environment.”