I’m going to say something that might feel uncomfortable: your relationship with AI is already part of your brand. Your clients are already forming opinions about it. And if you haven’t said anything publicly, they’re filling in the blanks with their own assumptions.
Some of those assumptions might be fine with you. Some might not. But here’s what I know: you should get to decide what people believe about how you work.
This isn’t a post about whether AI is good or bad. It’s about something more interesting: AI usage is a brand strategy. And like all brand strategies for service-based business owners, you have options. I want to walk you through some of them and invite you to choose yours on purpose.
The Spectrum Is Real (and It’s Wider Than You Think)
Right now, there are people canceling subscriptions to platforms that have introduced AI features. There are entire communities built around protecting creative work from AI training. And on the other side, there are companies telling employees—implicitly or explicitly—to use AI as much as possible in their daily work.
Some consumers feel AI is the worst thing that’s happened to humanity. Some believe it will save us all. Most people are somewhere in the messy middle, trying to figure out what they think while the ground keeps shifting underneath them.
Here’s what I know for sure: your potential clients are somewhere on this spectrum. And they’re paying attention to where you land.
Deloitte’s 2025 Connected Consumer study surveyed 3,500 U.S. consumers and found that while people are embracing AI and other digital technologies, many feel that technology is advancing too quickly, often without sufficient safeguards or transparency. Only 20% of consumers say companies are “very clear” about what data they collect or how it’s used.
Source: Deloitte 2025 Connected Consumer Survey
That gap between adoption and transparency? That’s where your AI disclosure statement lives.
Why This Matters More for Service Businesses
If you sell a physical product, people can hold it, test it, return it. But if you sell a service—strategy, design, therapy, legal counsel, coaching, consulting—your clients are buying your judgment, your expertise, and your process. They’re buying you.
So when AI enters that equation, the stakes feel different. A client hiring an attorney wants to know if AI drafted their contract. A patient seeing a therapist wants to know if AI is generating their treatment notes. A business owner hiring a brand strategist wants to know if AI is designing their logo.
And here’s the part that not enough people are talking about: AI is changing the cost of creative and strategic work. Processes that used to take 40 hours can sometimes be done in 10. That’s not a secret—your clients know this, or at least suspect it. Which means they’re starting to wonder: “If AI made this faster, why does it cost the same?”
Without a clear AI stance backed by a strong brand strategy, you’re vulnerable to that question. But with one? You can explain exactly what you bring to the table, where AI supports your process, where your expertise is irreplaceable, and why your pricing reflects the value of the outcome—not the hours in the chair.
This is a brand positioning conversation as much as a transparency one. Your AI disclosure isn’t just about ethics. It’s about protecting and communicating your value.
What Clients Are Actually Assuming
Here’s where it gets interesting. When you haven’t said anything about AI, clients don’t just shrug and move on. They make assumptions. And those assumptions shape whether they hire you, what they’re willing to pay, and how they experience working with you.
Some possible assumptions when you’re silent on AI:
- “They’re probably using AI and just not telling me.”
- “If they were using AI, they’d say so—so they must be behind the curve.”
- “Their prices seem high for something AI could do faster.”
- “They don’t seem to have a position on this—that makes me uneasy.”
- “I wonder if they even know how to use these tools.”
None of these assumptions may be true. But the question is: are you okay with them being made?
The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found that 53% of consumers will assume a brand is “doing nothing or hiding something” when it stays silent on issues it clearly has a stake in. And 80% of people now trust the brands they use more than they trust government, media, or NGOs—which means brands carry a real responsibility to communicate clearly.
Source: Edelman 2025 Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust
In 2026, AI usage is one of those issues. Especially for service businesses, where the entire value proposition is built on trust and expertise.
AI Is Changing the Economics. Brand Strategy Protects Your Pricing.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: AI is making certain tasks faster and cheaper. That’s a fact. And your clients—especially the savvy ones—know it.
If you don’t have a clear brand strategy that communicates your value beyond “hours worked,” you’re going to face pricing pressure. Clients will compare your rates to what they think AI can do for free or for a fraction of the cost.
But if your brand strategy clearly articulates what you bring—strategic thinking, industry expertise, quality standards, the human judgment that no AI can replicate—then your AI disclosure becomes a strength, not a liability. It shows that you’re using AI where it amplifies your work, and that the premium they’re paying is for everything AI can’t do.
A strong brand strategy is the foundation that makes an AI disclosure statement work. Without it, you’re just listing tools. With it, you’re explaining value.
This is why I always start with brand strategy before anything else—before the website, before the content, before the disclosure page. The strategy tells you what to say and why it matters.
Three AI Stances Every Service Business Should Consider
Just like I help clients choose between brand strategy directions before any design happens, I want to offer you three strategic stances for your AI positioning. None of these is wrong. The wrong move is having no position at all and leaving clients to fill in the gaps.
Stance 1: Human-Only (The Artisan)
This is a clear, principled position: no AI in your client deliverables. Everything is handcrafted, human-created, from your brain and hands to theirs.
This works well for: Artists, writers, therapists, and service providers whose clients specifically value the human-only element. If your ideal client is someone who’s skeptical of AI and values traditional craft, this stance is a powerful differentiator—and it justifies premium pricing for the time and attention you invest.
The pricing angle: This stance actually strengthens your pricing position. When everyone else is using AI to move faster, your commitment to human craft becomes a luxury. Think of it like handmade versus manufactured. Both are valid. One commands a premium.
Be specific about: What “human-only” means in your context. Do you use AI for scheduling? Research? Admin? Most businesses use AI somewhere, even if not in deliverables. Clarity builds trust; vagueness erodes it.
Sample statement: “All client deliverables are created entirely by human hands. We may use AI-powered tools for scheduling and administrative tasks, but your [designs/strategies/content] are 100% human-crafted.”
Stance 2: AI-Forward (The Innovator)
This position embraces AI openly as a competitive advantage. You’re using AI to move faster, explore more options, and deliver more value.
This works well for: Tech-forward consultants, marketing agencies, and service providers whose clients are excited about efficiency and innovation. If your ideal client is someone who’s already using AI themselves, they’ll respect this stance.
The pricing angle: You can pass savings on to clients through lower prices, or you can frame AI as a value multiplier—“you get 3x the creative exploration in half the time.” Either way, address it head-on. Clients will ask.
Be specific about: Where AI adds value to your process. What’s still human. How quality control works. Clients who are pro-AI still want to know there’s a thinking human steering the ship.
Sample statement: “We actively integrate AI tools into our workflow to deliver faster turnarounds and more creative exploration. Every AI-generated element is reviewed, refined, and approved by our team before it reaches you.”
Stance 3: Transparent Integration (The Thoughtful Partner)
This is the position I’ve chosen for Highly Anticipated. AI is a tool in my process—not a secret, not a gimmick. I use it where it makes my work better, I don’t use it where it doesn’t, and I tell you about it either way.
This works well for: Most service businesses. It’s honest, it’s flexible, and it respects the fact that your clients may feel differently about AI than you do. It gives them the information they deserve to make their own decision about working with you.
The pricing angle: This stance lets you price based on outcomes and expertise rather than getting caught in a debate about whether AI should make things cheaper. Your disclosure shows clients that you’re using every available tool to deliver the best result—and your brand strategy explains why that result is worth what you charge.
Be specific about: Where and how AI shows up in your process. What safeguards you have. What always stays human. And what happens if a client prefers less (or more) AI involvement.
Sample statement: “We use AI as a strategic tool in specific parts of our process, which we outline in detail on our AI Disclosure page. No AI-generated content reaches your final deliverables without human review and your consent.”
What Belongs in an AI Disclosure Statement
An AI disclosure statement isn’t a legal document (though regulations are coming—more on that in a moment). It’s a brand document. It’s a plain-language explanation of how AI fits into your work, written for the humans who hire you.
Here’s what I’d suggest including:
- Your overall stance and why you’ve chosen it
- Where AI appears in your workflow (be specific)
- Where AI does not appear
- How you handle quality control and human review
- What happens with client data (does it go into AI tools?)
- How your pricing reflects the value of outcomes, not just hours
- How clients can request more or less AI involvement
- How you’ll communicate changes to your AI practices
Think of it like a nutritional label for your process. Some clients will read every line. Others will just appreciate that you put it there.
The Regulatory Reality
Beyond brand strategy, there’s a practical reason to get ahead of this: AI disclosure requirements are already becoming law.
As of early 2026, multiple U.S. states have enacted AI-specific regulations affecting how businesses interact with consumers:
- Texas: The Responsible AI Governance Act took effect January 1, 2026, requiring disclosures when AI systems interact with consumers in healthcare and government settings, with broader business implications.
- Colorado: The AI Act (effective June 30, 2026) establishes requirements for disclosure, risk assessment, and mitigation of algorithmic discrimination for businesses deploying high-risk AI systems.
- California: AB 2013 mandates that generative AI developers publicly disclose information about training datasets. The AI Safety Act took effect January 1, 2026.
- Utah: The AI Policy Act requires businesses to clearly disclose when consumers are interacting with generative AI in regulated and consumer transactions.
- Illinois: HB 3021 requires clear disclosure when customers interact with chatbots.
- Maine: The Chatbot Disclosure Act requires consumer notification when they’re interacting with AI rather than a human.
Sources: CPO Magazine — 2026 AI Legal Forecast
Spencer Fane — If You or Your Clients Are Using AI
Greenberg Traurig — 2026 Outlook: Artificial Intelligence
While most of these regulations currently target larger organizations and high-risk applications, the direction is clear: transparency is becoming the baseline, not the exception. Getting ahead of this now—especially in a way that’s genuine rather than reactive—positions your business as trustworthy and forward-thinking.
The Research: Transparency Builds Trust (and Revenue)
If you’re wondering whether this actually matters to clients, the data is clear:
Transparency increases trust in the company. A 2024 Yahoo and Publicis Media study of 1,200+ U.S. consumers found that when AI-generated ads included clear disclosure, there was a 96% lift in overall trust for the company and a 73% lift in ad trustworthiness.
Source: Yahoo/Publicis Media — Trust Through Transparency
Consumers are open to AI when it’s useful and honest. Optimove’s 2025 AI Marketing Trust and Engagement Report found that 57% of consumers trust brands more when AI is part of the experience—as long as the brand is transparent about how it’s used.
Source: MarTech.org coverage of Optimove report
Consumers actively want disclosure. KPMG’s 2024 GenAI Consumer Trust Survey found that 81% of consumers believe using disclosures to indicate AI-generated content would be an effective practice for ethical AI use in business.
Source: KPMG 2024 Generative AI Consumer Trust Survey
There’s a massive gap between what companies disclose and what consumers expect. PwC’s Trust in Business Survey found that only 33% of executives say their companies disclose their AI governance framework, while 66% of consumers say it’s important that they do.
Source: PwC Trust in US Business Survey
For the first time, trust is equal to price and quality as a factor in purchase decisions. According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, trust has become a competitive differentiator on par with what you charge and what you deliver.
Source: Edelman 2025 Trust Barometer via The Drum
This Is Really About Client Fit (and Pricing Confidence)
I want to land here because this is the part that matters most to me.
An AI disclosure statement isn’t about convincing anyone that AI is good or bad. It’s about helping the right clients find you and helping the wrong ones self-select out. That’s what good brand strategy does.
And it’s about pricing confidence. When your brand strategy is clear and your AI stance is transparent, you don’t have to justify your rates. Your clients understand what they’re paying for—your expertise, your judgment, your quality standards, and the strategic thinking that no AI can replace. The tools are just how you get there.
If someone reads your AI disclosure and decides you’re not a fit? That’s the system working. You just saved both of you months of misaligned expectations. If someone reads it and thinks, “Finally, someone who gets it”? You’ve just earned trust before the first call.
Your brand is a filter. Your AI stance is part of that filter. Make it intentional.
What I Did (and Why I’m Sharing It)
I recently published Highly Anticipated’s AI Disclosure Statement. It took me longer to write than I expected—not because the words were hard, but because the thinking was. I had to get honest with myself about where AI actually shows up in my work, what I’m comfortable with, and what my clients deserve to know.
I also had to connect it to my brand strategy. My disclosure doesn’t just list tools—it explains my values, my process, and why I believe transparency makes the work better. That’s the difference between a compliance document and a brand document.
The result is a living document that I’ll update as my tools and practices evolve. I’m sharing it because I think more service businesses should do this, and I wanted to go first.
You can read the full statement here: highlyanticipated.net/ai-disclosure
Whether you’re an attorney, a therapist, a coach, a designer, or any other service provider—I’d love to see your version. The industry is better when we’re all clear about how we work.
Your AI stance is already shaping what clients assume about your process, your pricing, and your value. The only question is whether those assumptions are ones you’d choose.