Observed Signal · Sep 23, 2026 · Research · Source: Retail Dive · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
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.
Provides consumer sentiment insights on AI in retail, relevant for marketing and AI adoption strategies, but not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Only 7% of fashion shoppers would allow an AI assistant to make purchases without approval.
- 53% of consumers are uncomfortable with letting an AI assistant make purchases on their behalf.
- The survey was conducted by ACI Worldwide with over 3,300 U.S. and U.K. consumers.
- 53% of global consumers worry that AI-enabled support poses privacy risks, per Qualtrics XM Institute.
- Consumers most value AI features like price drop alerts and cross-retailer price comparisons.
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Riskified Survey: Consumers Resist AI-Controlled Shopping
Riskified released the Q1 2026 edition of its Agentic Commerce Pulse, a survey of consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom that finds broad adoption of AI for product discovery but declining comfort with AI autonomy in purchases. Key results include 61.5% using AI for discovery, 55.0% uncomfortable with AI making purchases, and 53.9% believing AI could increase online fraud. Respondents also demand stronger transaction safeguards (73.9%) and place primary liability for unauthorized AI-driven purchases on AI platforms (50.8%). Riskified says the findings show a widening gap between AI adoption and consumer trust, with implications for merchants, authentication, fraud prevention, and accountability as agentic commerce evolves.
Shoppers burned by bad AI recommendations, survey finds
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