Can you use AI to write reviews or testimonials for your business?

Ascent Vision · Published October 24, 2026

No. The FTC says its rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, in effect since October 21, 2024, bars businesses from creating or selling reviews or testimonials that falsely claim to come from someone who does not exist, such as AI-generated fake reviews, or from someone with no actual experience of the business. Google's Maps policy also removes content not based on a real experience. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.

What the FTC's rule says

The Federal Trade Commission's August 14, 2024 announcement of the rule says it addresses reviews and testimonials that misrepresent that they are by someone who does not exist, "such as AI-generated fake reviews", or by someone who did not have actual experience with the business. It says the rule prohibits businesses from creating or selling such reviews or testimonials, and from buying them or disseminating such testimonials when the business knew or should have known they were fake or false.

In December 2025, FTC staff wrote that the agency had sent warning letters to a number of companies about potential violations of it. The related answer on putting customer reviews on your website covers real testimonials on your own site.

What the guidance does not do: the FTC says its staff guidance is not definitive or comprehensive and gives no safe harbor from liability, and that the rule authorizes courts to impose civil penalties for knowing violations. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.

What Google's policy says

Google's Maps content policy says contributions should reflect a genuine experience, and that fake engagement is not allowed and will be removed. Its examples include content not based on a real experience. It says merchants may not solicit content that does not represent a genuine experience, and should not request that specific content be included in a review.

As general advice, that rules out handing a customer an AI-written review to post, even about a real job.

AI presenters and a set-aside order

The FTC's questions-and-answers page says the rule has no blanket prohibition on AI-generated avatars in marketing. It says using an AI stock avatar might fall under the rule's provisions on testimonials, prohibited under the rule only if the underlying testimonials were fake or false, and it adds that such avatars could also be deceptive in violation of the FTC Act. As general advice, never let an AI-made person stand in for a customer who does not exist; labeling is covered in the related answer on telling customers you use AI.

The FTC's complaint against Rytr, an AI-enabled writing assistance service, alleged that it let subscribers generate false and deceptive online reviews. In December 2025 the FTC set aside the 2024 order settling that case, saying the facts alleged in the complaint did not support a violation and that the order unduly burdened AI innovation. As general advice, read that as a decision about the tool's maker, not as permission to post reviews no customer wrote.

What AI can fairly do with reviews

As general advice:

Draft a reply to a real review, which a person edits and posts; see the related answer on using AI to reply to reviews.
Summarize your real reviews for your own planning.
Never offer anything for a review; see the related answer on discounts for reviews.
If a fake review is aimed at you, see the related answer on getting a fake Google review removed.

Sources

GEO: recommended in AI answers

When a customer asks ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google's AI who to call, the answer names a few businesses. GEO is the work of making yours one of them.

See the service Work with us