In today’s fast-changing digital world, the question “Is this real?” comes up often, especially as consumers interact with ads—many of which use humor or artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content. This study explores how disparagement in humor, particularly in the form of sexist advertising, affects consumer skepticism perceptions when the content is generated by AI compared to human sources. As AI becomes a prominent actor in the creative process, its capacity to produce emotionally charged, humorous content presents opportunities and ethical challenges for persuasive technologies. Using the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM) framework, the research focuses on Generation Z, known for their tech-savviness and awareness of social issues, to see how they react to AI- versus human-generated ads containing sexist humor. The results reveal that consumers’ skepticism increases when AI is disclosed in ads, leading to more negative attitudes toward the ad. In the case of sexist humor, this skepticism further reduces the perceived humorousness, which worsens overall advertising evaluations. The study makes three key contributions: (1) it advances theoretical insights into AI-driven persuasive communication, (2) it provides actionable guidance for designers and marketers working with persuasive technologies, and (3) it highlights the ethical imperatives of transparency and social responsibility in algorithmically mediated persuasion, especially as the boundaries between human and machine-generated content continue to blur.