While 76% of U.S. shoppers have used AI to make purchases in the past year, most remain skeptical of the technology's guidance (Retail Dive - Technology). A SmartCustomer survey of nearly 1,200 consumers found that 89% don't fully trust AI recommendations, and one-third of respondents said they made a regrettable purchase based on an AI suggestion (Retail Dive - Technology). Electronics accounted for half of bad purchases, while apparel and footwear made up 45% (Retail Dive - Technology).
The trust gap presents a significant liability for retailers. More than half (53%) of survey respondents suspect companies of releasing false or misleading information to influence AI recommendations (Retail Dive - Technology). The majority (98%) of shoppers believe AI companies should take responsibility for validating recommendation sources and confirming vendor legitimacy before surfacing products (Retail Dive - Technology). Commerce practitioners who fail to implement robust source-vetting and brand-verification mechanisms risk both customer dissatisfaction and brand damage.
Gender and generational divides complicate adoption patterns. While 63% of men use AI to shop at least sometimes, 53% of women do the same (Retail Dive - Technology). About 21% of Gen Z shoppers say they will never use AI to shop, compared to 19% of Gen X and 10% of millennials (Retail Dive - Technology).