The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is revolutionising how companies create digital content on social networks. However, how users respond to this content remains less explored. The aim of this article is to compare GenAI-generated content with human-generated content on Instagram. First, through a survey of 273 students, we explored user engagement with the eSports team’s content on Instagram. Second, we measured followers’ engagement behaviors (i.e., “likes”, comments, shares and reach) with GenAI-generated content versus human-created content. Results indicate that both GenAI tools (ChatGPT and Gemini) achieved similar levels of engagement in terms of “likes”. ChatGPT stood out for its use of interactive features like opinion polls, particularly in “stories”, while Gemini excelled in total reach and visibility. In contrast, human-generated content attracted a higher proportion of non-followers, suggesting a stronger potential to expand the existing audience. These findings underscore the advantages of adopting a hybrid strategy that combines the scalability and speed of GenAI with the contextual relevance and authenticity of human-created content.

Generative Artificial Intelligence, Content Marketing, Social Media Engagement, Instagram Analytics, eSports