Observed Signal · Sep 23, 2026 · Survey Release · Source: Retail Dive · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Shoppers burned by bad AI recommendations, survey finds
A SmartCustomer survey of nearly 1,200 US consumers reveals that while 89% don't fully trust AI recommendations, 76% have used AI to make purchases in the past year, and a third made regrettable purchases based on AI advice. Electronics, apparel, and footwear dominate these poor choices. The survey also indicates that 98% believe AI companies hold responsibility for validating sources and legitimacy, and 53% suspect companies of manipulating AI recommendations with false information. Additional findings show gender and generational divides in AI shopping adoption, with men shopping via AI more than women, and Gen Z being more hesitant. Other surveys by YouGov, RTB House, and Gartner corroborate trust issues and consumer preference for human oversight in AI-assisted commerce.
Highlights consumer distrust in AI recommendations, relevant to AI and retail but not a major adtech shift.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- 76% of consumers have used AI to make purchases in the past year, despite 89% lacking full trust in AI recommendations.
- A third of survey respondents (33%) made a regrettable purchase based on an AI recommendation, with electronics, apparel, and footwear accounting for most bad purchases.
- 98% of respondents believe AI companies should take at least some responsibility for validating the sources of a recommendation and confirming company legitimacy.
- 53% of respondents suspect companies of releasing false or misleading information to influence AI recommendations.
- Gartner survey found half of US consumers prefer shopping with brands that don't use AI in consumer-facing messages, content, and advertising.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“A survey by YouGov last year found that 41% of respondents didn’t trust AI shopping assistants at all....”
“A survey by marketing firm RTB House found that 35% of respondents across generations would want a person to review transactions before AI a...”
“A Gartner survey of more than 1,500 U.S. consumers found that half prefer shopping with brands that don’t use AI in consumer-facing messages...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
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.
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 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.
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