MOSCOW, July 1. /TASS/. More than half of Russians believe they can distinguish AI-generated content from human-created material, while 42% say they have at some point mistaken AI-generated content for something created by a person, according to a survey conducted by the research center of the Russian Knowledge Society and obtained by TASS.

The nationwide telephone survey was conducted on June 18-26, 2026, and involved 1,600 respondents. The margin of error does not exceed 2.44% at a 95% confidence level.

"The survey showed that Russians assess their ability to recognize AI-generated content differently. Overall, 51% of respondents believe they can distinguish authentic images, videos, or audio recordings from those created using AI. Almost as many, 46%, believe they would not be able to do so," the survey findings state.

The poll also found that confidence in recognizing AI-generated content declines with age. Among respondents aged 18-24, 81% believe they can distinguish AI-generated material from authentic content. The figure drops to 60% among those aged 35-44 and to 26% among respondents over the age of 60.

This confidence, though, doesn’t always translate to accuracy. According to the survey, 42% of Russians have encountered situations in which they initially believed an image, video, or audio recording was authentic before learning that it had been created or altered using AI. Of those, 27% said this had happened more than once, while 15% reported experiencing it just one time.

"A vivid example is the story of the 'fluffsuckers.' In early June, videos spread across social media showing robots collecting poplar fluff on the streets of Moscow. Many people believed the device actually existed, but it later turned out that the videos had been generated with AI. As we can see, modern technology makes it possible to create such convincing content that even experienced users sometimes cannot immediately distinguish reality from a sophisticated imitation," said Dmitry Rybalchenko, First Deputy Director General of the Russian Knowledge Society.

According to him, while the "fluffsuckers" videos were a harmless joke, "in other cases, such gullibility can have far more serious consequences, ranging from the spread of false news to financial and reputational losses.".