You have probably come across videos on social media that draw you in from the moment you start watching, but at the same time make you feel as though something doesn't quite reflect who you are. Lately, I have been seeing a lot of stories, especially targeting young people (aged 25–35, perhaps because I am in that age group too), but I have noticed that the narratives vary by age and gender. Their storytelling is so realistic that it could be engaging for anyone experiencing difficulties in their life.
The truth is, everyone struggles with something in their lives every day, without exception. There may be several aspects of your life that you are unsatisfied with and wish to change—at work, at school, in relationships, at home, or even regarding your physical self. With this common human experience in mind, it is easy to relate to someone who talks about a problem you are probably experiencing as well. In the modern age, where face-to-face communication has decreased while screen time has increased, curiosity naturally inclines us towards such stories.
After the content initially attracts your attention and you watch for a short while, the algorithm plans how to keep you watching similar content by anticipating what interests you. This is where the question arises: what is the harm in watching these things?
Figure 1: Screenshots from samples of AI-generated advertisements from different sources presenting people emotionally suffering in different stories, followed by a recommendation for a breathing exercise.
Source: Author’s screenshots, collected from Instagram in June–July 2026; advertiser identifiers anonymised by the author.
The point is, if you manage to concentrate on the things you want to change in your life through this nudging content, then perhaps seeing them could be helpful for you. But if you continue merely observing, there is a reality you might fail to realise: stories can carry emotional manipulation, which can lead you to view even the positive things in your life in a very negative light. If you are having difficulty in several areas of your life, you might become overwhelmed and deeply pessimistic. This is because the messages in these stories ultimately aim to market a product or service.
Furthermore, let's say you watch one of these advertisements and start using the recommended applications. How realistic does the idea seem that you can permanently solve a problem—one you have just noticed or have been dwelling on for a while—in a week, 28 days, or three weeks, as shown in the adverts?
Here, the reality is that you are dealing with an application that targets your emotions, keeps you engaged in the story through AI visualisation, and aims to profit from the outcomes you hope for. The goal is not to provide genuine solutions to your life problems, but to keep the audience emotionally engaged long enough to encourage downloads, subscriptions, or purchases. In other words, these are not just stories; they are advanced, AI-powered marketing strategies built on emotional manipulation.
Figure 2: Screenshots from samples of AI-generated advertisements from different sources portraying body image dissatisfaction, followed by a recommendation for a breathing exercise or a revolutionary exercise plan.
Source: Author’s screenshots, collected from Instagram in June–July 2026; advertiser identifiers anonymised by the author.
While personal actions, such as deciding not to engage with this kind of material, are an option, the European Union plans to safeguard people’s interests through the AI Act. A new implementation of the AI Act, which came into effect recently (August 2, 2026), put in place transparency requirements for specific kinds of AI-generated and AI-manipulated content. According to these requirements, users must be provided with accurate information when content is AI-generated or AI-manipulated.
The reasoning behind imposing such responsibilities is to ensure that users are aware when they are interacting with or engaging with AI-created or AI-manipulated content, thereby enabling informed decision-making. Indeed, increased transparency may certainly help improve digital literacy among users and encourage them to think twice about online content. In most of the advertisements presented in this paper, it is relatively easy to distinguish the AI-created visual elements. But the real problem lies elsewhere: persuasion in marketing campaigns is achieved not by the image itself being fake, but by the emotionally charged stories accompanying it. They often highlight common experiences of loneliness, anxiety, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, or career struggles before presenting a specific application or service as the ultimate solution.
For this reason, even when users realise they are viewing AI-generated content marked with an AI label, they can still be psychologically affected by how the message is emotionally framed. Transparency may, therefore, reduce deception without necessarily reducing persuasion.
This framework still brings about several critical issues:
Ethical Concerns: It poses ethical issues related to consent and autonomy, especially for individuals who are emotionally vulnerable and targeted through personalized persuasive techniques.
Geographical Limitations: Its effectiveness is geographically constrained as it applies only within the European Union, whereas AI-generated content circulates freely across national boundaries in the digital space.
Inherent Limitations of Disclosure: Although improved digital literacy is undoubtedly valuable, awareness that content is AI-generated does not necessarily eliminate its psychological influence. Where artificial intelligence is designed to exploit emotional vulnerabilities for commercial purposes, disclosure alone may be insufficient to safeguard users' mental well-being and autonomous decision-making.
Figure 3: Sample EU Icons for labelling AI-generated content.
Source: European Commission.
Individuals—particularly those experiencing stress, anxiety, grief, loneliness, or any other type of psychological vulnerability—may tend to base their decisions on emotions before analyzing the data logically. The mention of artificial intelligence in a small caption might be enough to satisfy legal obligations, but it will not guarantee protection against emotional manipulation. People will keep watching and may not even notice the label due to their existing emotional involvement. Even when the content is not explicitly deceptive, marketing techniques that use emotion-based persuasion through AI raise fundamental ethical issues surrounding informed consent and autonomy.
Another limitation is geographical. The AI Act is among the most comprehensive pieces of AI legislation globally, yet its jurisdiction is limited to the EU. Digital platforms, however, are fundamentally international. Content produced outside the EU can easily reach Europeans via social media platforms, messaging apps, virtual private networks (VPNs), and transnational websites. In effect, an EU resident could still be exposed to AI content produced in jurisdictions with no corresponding transparency requirements. Similarly, people outside Europe will continue to be exposed to highly persuasive AI content without any disclosure requirements.
This illustrates a broader challenge of digital governance: artificial intelligence develops globally and content circulates globally, yet regulation remains largely national or regional. While the EU AI Act may establish an influential international benchmark—much like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) did previously—it cannot single-handedly solve the problem of AI-driven manipulation.
Figure 4: Screenshots from samples of AI-generated advertisements from different sources for people experiencing difficulties in their work or personal relationships, followed by a recommendation for an articulation training programme.
Source: Author’s screenshots, collected from Instagram in June–July 2026; advertiser identifiers anonymised by the author.
The discussion, therefore, needs to move beyond mere legal compliance towards responsible AI use. Responsible AI cannot be evaluated purely from a legal perspective where labels are simply attached to AI-generated content; this concept must encompass the ethical responsibilities of developers, tech companies, advertisers, content producers, and digital platforms.
AI technologies should not be created with the purpose of exploiting human vulnerabilities, manipulating individuals, or driving impulsive actions through content designed to mimic authentic human experiences.
In addition, governments, educational institutions, and civil society must take an active role in improving digital literacy. Now more than ever, users require the ability not only to distinguish AI-generated content, but also to recognise the emotional manipulation and persuasive design techniques inherent in algorithmic marketing.
In summary, when you turn to social media as a distraction from reality and constantly draw parallels between your own struggles and common human experiences—such as loneliness, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship troubles, financial issues, or career setbacks—and a friendly figure suggests a specific application, breathing exercise, speech training, meditation programme, or productivity tool, we are easily motivated to download the app, purchase its premium services, or buy into a quick self-transformation. This is because behind the artificially created narrative, our emotions remain real. While plenty of digital well-being solutions are genuinely useful, the core issue lies in the power of AI to forge trust and connection on a scale previously unimagined.
Although a label may alert readers that AI has generated a particular piece of content, it does not fully shield them against the impact such content can have on their emotions, beliefs, or behaviour. In light of this reality, any genuine attempt at protection will require global cooperation, universal ethical standards, and the truly responsible development of AI systems. Otherwise, while Europe may tag its AI-generated content, the global digital community will continue to produce highly persuasive stories targeting vulnerable audiences everywhere.
Suggested citation: Hatice Nihan Sarihan., "Can AI Generate Solutions to Life's Problems?," 海角社区-CRIS (blog), 2026-08-14, 2026, /cris/blog-post/can-ai-generate-solutions-lifes-problems.
