# AI-Generated Images Can Perform as Well as Stock Photography

DevFeed: [AI-Generated Images Can Perform as Well as Stock Photography](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/ai-generated-images-can-perform-as-well-as-stock-photography-9030.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ai-generated-images/>)

Author: Rachel Banawa

Published: 2026-08-21T17:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [NN/g latest articles and announcements](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/nn-g-latest-articles-and-announcements.md>)

Topics: [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>), [.NET MAUI](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/net-maui.md>)

Tags: [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [analysis](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/analysis.md>), [article](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/article.md>), [collaboration](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/collaboration.md>), [images](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/images.md>), [photography](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/photography.md>), [statistical-significance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/statistical-significance.md>), [teamwork](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/teamwork.md>)

## AI overview

AI-generated hero images did not produce a meaningful perception penalty compared with real stock photography in a study of 77 participants evaluating fictional consulting-firm webpages. Ratings were slightly higher for AI imagery, but only the small authenticity difference reached statistical significance.

## Source excerpt

When users didn't know whether an image was AI-generated, the images we tested did not create any perception penalty compared to stock photos.