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Dive Brief:
Forty-three percent of Americans are aware of AI shopping assistants, but only 14% have used one, according to a new survey from YouGov. Such tools are most popular among Gen Z users (24%), followed by millennials (17%), Gen Xers (12%) and baby boomers (7%).
For consumers who are open to AI shopping assistants but haven’t used them, about two-thirds (67%) said they would use AI to find the best prices and 56% would like help comparing products. Nearly half (46%) said they’d want to use them to receive product recommendations, the survey found.
Trust remains a barrier to adoption, with 41% of survey respondents stating they have no trust in AI shopping assistants. Indeed, they are one of the least trusted sources of shopping information, according to YouGov.
Dive Insight:
Though Gen Z is leading the charge on AI shopping assistant usage, purveyors of AI technology face skepticism from consumers.
“In open-ended responses, some consumers expressed outright hostility with comments such as they ‘don’t trust AI,’ ‘hate AI,’ or that it’s ‘destroying our planet,’” YouGov said in its report. “Others framed AI as a threat to democracy, humanity, and the environment. These sentiments highlight a deeper resistance, particularly among more tech-wary consumers.”
Among those who avoid using AI shopping assistants, more than half (54%) of survey respondents said they don’t see the need for such tools in the first place and 45% said they prefer human assistance. Over a third (34%) of respondents were concerned about data privacy and security, and 30% suspect that AI shopping assistants would attempt to sell them things they don’t need, YouGov found.
YouGov’s survey also offers some insights into which products shoppers would consider using AI shopping assistants to purchase. While 43% of respondents said they wouldn’t use AI to purchase anything, about a fifth (21%) said they would use AI to buy consumer electronics and 19% would purchase groceries or household essentials and clothing, shoes and accessories.
Despite consumer concerns, companies are diving headfirst into AI shopping tools. Retail and tech heavyweights like Google, Amazon, Walmart and eBay have released AI shopping tools this year to help consumers with everything from finding products based on their interests and virtually trying on items to summarizing reviews and offering shoppers advice and suggestions.
Across the industry, retailers are pouring more resources into AI. A Capgemini report recently found that 56% of retail organizations have increased their investments in generative AI compared to last year.