Observed Signal · Oct 28, 2026 · Market Research · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Consumers Distrust AI Agents for Holiday Shopping
A new Deloitte survey of 4,000 U.S. consumers reveals that only 16% trust AI agents to complete holiday purchases on their behalf, while 66% worry about how AI assistants use their data. Despite this, 37% feel more comfortable using AI agents than they did six months ago. Retailers are building the infrastructure to enable AI-driven shopping, but consumer hesitancy remains a significant barrier. Other pre-holiday surveys also show reluctance toward agentic shopping. The findings suggest that while the technology is advancing, widespread consumer adoption is not yet imminent.
The article provides consumer survey data on the adoption of AI agents for shopping, which is relevant for retail media and agentic commerce strategies, but it does not announce a specific corporate event or technical release.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Only 16% of consumers trust AI agents to complete holiday purchases, per Deloitte survey.
- 66% of consumers worry about how AI assistants use their data.
- 37% of consumers are more comfortable using AI agents than six months ago.
- Survey conducted among 4,000 U.S. consumers by Deloitte in August and September.
- Other pre-holiday surveys also show consumer hesitancy toward agentic shopping.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mapped“Deloitte conducted a survey of 4,000 U.S. consumers on trust in AI agents.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Shoppers Cautious About AI Holiday Shopping, Sinch Study Finds
A new study by Sinch across eight markets with 2,501 consumers reveals that fewer shoppers believe AI will make holiday shopping easier, dropping from 48% in 2025 to 43% in 2026. Trust in human advice over AI increased to 53%. Data privacy remains the top concern (43%). Consumers are most willing to delegate order tracking and shipping updates (48%), product research (47%), and customer service (36%). Despite consumer caution, 63% of retailers have deployed AI customer communication agents. The findings suggest that AI gimmicks risk alienating shoppers, while high-quality authentic content remains crucial for affiliates.
Consumers Trust AI Advice but Not AI Purchases
A survey by ACI Worldwide of over 3,300 U.S. and U.K. consumers reveals that only 7% of fashion shoppers would allow an AI assistant to make purchases without approval, while 53% are uncomfortable with AI making purchases on their behalf. Consumers value AI for tasks like price drop alerts and cross-retailer comparisons, but want to retain control over final purchase decisions. The article highlights that retailers can build loyalty by embedding AI assistants in their apps for order tracking, returns, and promotions. Privacy concerns remain significant, with 53% of global consumers worried about AI-enabled support posing privacy risks, according to Qualtrics XM Institute. Experts suggest framing AI as a 'better editor' that narrows options rather than a decision-maker, emphasizing the importance of trust and transparency.
Research: AI Hesitancy Affects Online Checkout Trust
Reflect Digital's Searchpulse report (UK, n=2,000) finds strong AI usage but persistent mistrust in agentic online shopping: Gen Z are the biggest fact-checkers, with 45% verifying AI outputs, while almost half of respondents said they would be uncomfortable with an AI completing their checkout due to security and accuracy concerns. The report also notes platform shifts among younger users (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok rising; Google usage down 15% year-over-year). Other market studies (Logica Research/PayPal, Mintel, Juniper Research) similarly report consumer hesitation around giving AI full autonomy in purchases, though forecasts anticipate growth in agentic commerce by 2031.
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