AI can shop for you. But will consumers let it?

In late 2024, we asked whether AI was about to rewrite the "First Moment of Truth." We imagined a new "Prompted Moment of Truth," where an assistant picks the brand before the shopper ever reaches the aisle. In July 2026, after 18+ months of AI model updates and product launches, we asked 2,000 Canadians the same questions again. What we discovered is that AI is changing, Canadians are not.

The Prompted Moment of Truth, Two Years On

Between December 2024 and July 2026, AI shopping moved from an emerging capability to a rapidly expanding product category. Canadians' response has not moved:

• Appeal: seven in ten like the idea to some degree, but only 29% like it very or extremely well, the same as in Wave 1. Interest is broad; enthusiasm is not.
• Intent to sign up: 41% then, 40% now. Commitment has softened, too: those who would definitely sign up fell from 16% to 12%.
• Trying an AI-suggested brand: 63% then, 61% now, compared with 90% who would try a brand on a trusted person's recommendation.
• Letting AI make the final purchase decision: only 26% would, essentially unchanged. Shoppers want an assistant, not a replacement.

Beyond grocery, enthusiasm for AI is cooling. Ipsos’ Global AI Monitor shows the share of Canadians excited by AI-powered products fell from 37% to 26% between 2024 and 2026.

It’s not a question of unfamiliarity. 44% have used AI for a shopping-related task in the past six months, mostly for research: finding product information (21%), comparing products (18%) and checking prices (17%). Only 8% have used it to build a shopping list. AI has become their research assistant, not their shopper.

Other Ipsos data shows a large pool of shoppers who would consider using AI for almost every shopping task. This research is a caution on how quickly that pool converts: in Canada, appetite has held still for 19 months.

So what is holding it back? Read our detailed paper for more timely insights.