Shoppers prefer AI explain things and save them money, not recommend products
While models and algorithms were long used in the background, AI tools (and products) are now center stage in our lives, including when shopping. These tools make shopping easier for some – but are shoppers ready to trust AI to do the work for them?
Here are three factors to consider when integrating AI into the shopping journey:
Shoppers trust other humans more than AI
If looking for external validation during their purchase journey, shoppers have a variety of tools to turn to – from reviews, ratings from third-party sources, and their social circle. Shoppers would much rather prefer to receive a product recommendation from their friends or family (89%) compared to either a specific ecommerce site’s AI tools using their purchase history (51%) or a generative AI tool like a large language model (LLM) (38%), according to polling from the Ipsos Consumer Tracker.
This trust in human intelligence over artificial intelligence even extends to sales associates in retail stores (65%). Even though there’s a clear incentive in making a sale, human touch matters.

Familiarity and experience breeds trust
Part of this lack of trust stems from a lack of experience (or familiarity) with generative AI tools. Among the most frequent Generative AI users, 81% would trust AI recommendations, but this trust rapidly declines for more rare users (52% for a specific site/store and 34% for generative AI applications). Even among those who have used generative AI products, the more variety of tasks they’ve used it for already, the more likely they are to embrace recommendations.
Shoppers most want AI to assist and guide, not lead
Recommendations may be a step too far today. However, shoppers are keen on other use cases that focus on assistance and guidance. About one-in-four believe AI would be most helpful for finding a lower-priced product (24%), and one in five would find it most helpful for explaining the differences between products (19%) compared to other use cases.
What this means for brands & retailers
- An AI-streamlined journey will lead to fewer opportunities for brands to influence shoppers after they’re triggered to purchase, making initial desires (and more intentional searching for the brand/product) more important than ever with less time to change minds, particularly for online journeys.
- For online retailers, focusing on how the shopping experience is improved – and not the technology behind those improvements – can help ease shoppers into these tools without the stigma or intimidation of the AI label.
Understanding how shoppers are navigating new touchpoints and purchase influencers is crucial to winning share. Are you confident you’re keeping up with changes in how shoppers are making decisions in what to buy, where to buy it, who’s influencing them, and their mindset? Ipsos’ dedicated team of Retail & Shopper Insights experts help brands and retailers make strategic decisions in our evolving omnichannel world.