--- title: "AI Brand Sentiment: Gemini Goes Negative on 72.6% of Brands" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-negative-words-about-brands description: "AI brand sentiment study: asked \"Is [brand] good?\", Gemini uses negative words for 72.6% of brands and ChatGPT for 57.2%. Read the study." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-negative-words-about-brands&text=Gemini%20Uses%20Negative%20Words%20About%2072.6%25%20of%20Brands%20vs%2057.2%25%20for%20ChatGPT Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-negative-words-about-brands Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-negative-words-about-brands Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-negative-words-about-brands&title=Gemini%20Uses%20Negative%20Words%20About%2072.6%25%20of%20Brands%20vs%2057.2%25%20for%20ChatGPT Ask Gemini "Is [brand] good?" twice and it brings up complaints, lawsuits, recalls or similar negatives for **72.6%** of brands. ChatGPT does the same for 57.2% of brands, and for auto dealers 72% of its answers carry a negative word. Analysis of 2,000 answers to "Is [brand] good?" for 500 brands · ChatGPT and Gemini answers, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. Asked "Is [brand] good?", Gemini uses a negative word such as complaints, lawsuit or hidden fees for **72.6%** of brands in at least one of two answers. Copy stat 2. 2. ChatGPT uses a negative word for **57.2%** of brands when asked "Is [brand] good?", and for 32.4% of brands it does so in both of two answers. Copy stat 3. 3. **57.4%** of Gemini's answers to "Is [brand] good?" contain a negative term, against 44.8% of ChatGPT's answers. Copy stat 4. 4. "Complaints" is by far the most common negative term in ChatGPT's answers about brands, used **723** times, nearly ten times the next most common term. Copy stat 5. 5. ChatGPT uses negative words in **72%** of its answers about auto dealer brands, the highest of any industry, followed by plumbing at 66.7%. Copy stat ## Summary A customer is about to sign with a moving company and asks ChatGPT a simple question: is this company any good? The answer describes the services, mentions a few strengths, and then brings up complaints. For most brands, that is what the answer looks like. "Is [brand] good?" is one of the most common questions people ask before they buy, and AI assistants now answer it in a single paragraph. Whatever that paragraph says becomes the default description of a brand, and a mention of complaints or lawsuits in it reaches every customer who asks. Gemini uses negative words for **72.6%** of brands and ChatGPT for 57.2%. For about a third of brands, ChatGPT brings up negatives every time it is asked, and brands in auto sales and home services draw them most often. ## What we measured In September 2026 we took 500 brands, the companies whose websites rank most often across a large set of Google searches, and asked ChatGPT and Gemini "Is [brand] good?" twice each, 2,000 answers in all. The brands span industries from auto dealers and movers to accounting firms and universities. We checked each answer for terms from a fixed list of negative words, including complaints, scam, lawsuit, poor, fraud, recall, hidden fees and data breach. An answer counts as negative when it contains at least one of them. A brand counts as getting negative words when at least one of its two answers from an engine does, and "both runs" means both answers did. ## More than half of brands get negative words 57.2% of brands get negative words from ChatGPT when someone asks "Is [brand] good?". Per answer, 44.8% of ChatGPT responses and 57.4% of Gemini responses contain at least one negative term. Because each brand was asked about twice, the brand-level rate is higher: 57.2% of brands for ChatGPT and 72.6% for Gemini. Gemini is the harsher of the two, bringing up a negative for nearly three brands in four. ChatGPT Answers with a negative term 44.8% Brands with a negative term in either answer 57.2% Brands with a negative term in both answers 32.4% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 2,000 answers to "Is [brand] good?" for 500 brands · ChatGPT and Gemini answers, September 2026 | Measure | ChatGPT | Gemini | | --- | --- | --- | | Answers with a negative term | 44.8% | 57.4% | | Brands with a negative term in either answer | 57.2% | 72.6% | | Brands with a negative term in both answers | 32.4% | n/a | For 32.4% of brands, ChatGPT used negative words in both answers. For those brands the negatives are not a one-off turn of phrase: they are part of how ChatGPT describes the company whenever someone asks. ## Complaints is the word AI reaches for The most common negative term by far is "complaints", used 723 times in ChatGPT's answers. Next come the singular "complaint" (75), "BBB complaints" (36) and "recalls" (27). ChatGPT's view of whether a brand is good leans heavily on what unhappy customers have posted, from review sites to Better Business Bureau records. That tells a brand where the negatives come from. Complaint pages and review threads are among the sources AI engines read when judging a company, and an unresolved complaint can surface in an answer years after it was filed. ## Auto dealers and home services draw the most negatives By industry, auto dealer brands draw negative words in 72% of ChatGPT's answers. Plumbing (66.7%), moving companies (65%), solar (60.3%) and HVAC (58.8%) follow. These are industries where customers make large, infrequent purchases, often in a hurry, and write detailed complaints when a job or a deal goes wrong. ChatGPT answers with negative words by industry Auto dealers 72% Plumbing 66.7% Moving companies 65% Solar 60.3% HVAC 58.8% Insurance 52.4% Home remodeling 50% Home security 46.6% Real estate 39.5% Personal injury law 35.7% Mortgage 30.6% IT services 28.8% Dental 28.3% Higher education 25% Accounting 22.2% At the other end, accounting firms draw negative words in 22.2% of ChatGPT's answers and higher education in 25%, the lowest of the industries in the table. Professional services with licensed practitioners and long client relationships get far gentler descriptions than trades where one bad job becomes a public complaint. ## What this means for brand and reputation managers Ask ChatGPT and Gemini whether your brand is good and read what they say. If complaints or Better Business Bureau records come up, those are the pages the AI engines are reading. Respond to complaints publicly, resolve open BBB cases and ask satisfied customers to review you on the same sites, so the material AI engines draw on is balanced. Then publish clear, factual pages about your pricing, policies, warranties and how you handle problems. Complaints and recalls are the most common negative themes, and a direct answer on your own site gives AI engines a source to quote alongside them. If you are in auto sales or home services, check your AI answers monthly. Our reputation management services (https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr/reputation-management-services) include monitoring how AI engines describe your brand. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: Gemini Uses Negative Words About 72.6% of Brands vs 57.2% for ChatGPT - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). Gemini Uses Negative Words About 72.6% of Brands vs 57.2% for ChatGPT. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-negative-words-about-brands Plain link Gemini Uses Negative Words About 72.6% of Brands vs 57.2% for ChatGPT - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-negative-words-about-brands ## Frequently asked questions ### How often does ChatGPT say negative things about brands? ### Is Gemini more negative about brands than ChatGPT? ### Which industries get the most negative AI answers? ### What negative word does ChatGPT use most about brands? ## Related studies - AI SEO Ask Gemini if a Brand Is Good and 21.3% of Answers Cite a Competitor's Website: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-competitor-sites - AI SEO 32.2% of the 500 Brands That Rank Most on Google Are Never Named in AI Answers: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-visibility-index-500-brands - AI SEO Brands With the Most Press Coverage Get Named in 13.4x More AI Answers: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/press-coverage-ai-brand-mentions - AI SEO Brands That Block GPTBot Still Get Named by ChatGPT: 31.5 Mentions vs 20.7 for Brands That Allow It: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/blocking-gptbot-ai-recommendations ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-negative-words-about-brands#article", "headline": "Gemini Uses Negative Words About 72.6% of Brands vs 57.2% for ChatGPT", "description": "Ask Gemini \"Is [brand] good?\" twice and it brings up complaints, lawsuits, recalls or similar negatives for 72.6% of brands. 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ChatGPT does the same for 57.2% of brands, and for auto dealers 72% of its answers carry a negative word.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-negative-words-about-brands", "creator": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "measurementTechnique": "ChatGPT and Gemini answers to \"Is [brand] good?\"" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-negative-words-about-brands#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How often does ChatGPT say negative things about brands?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "For 57.2% of 500 brands, at least one of two ChatGPT answers to \"Is [brand] good?\" uses a negative term such as complaints, lawsuit or hidden fees (September 2026)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Gemini more negative about brands than ChatGPT?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Gemini uses negative terms for 72.6% of brands and in 57.4% of its answers to \"Is [brand] good?\", against 57.2% of brands and 44.8% of answers for ChatGPT." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which industries get the most negative AI answers?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Auto dealers, where 72% of ChatGPT's answers to \"Is [brand] good?\" contain a negative word, followed by plumbing (66.7%) and moving companies (65%)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What negative word does ChatGPT use most about brands?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "\"Complaints\", used 723 times in ChatGPT's answers to \"Is [brand] good?\", followed by \"complaint\", \"BBB complaints\" and \"recalls\"." } } ] } ] } ] ```