Shoppers are skeptical about some aspects of AI but are also open to using AI tools like chatbots.
Today’s shoppers are encountering plenty of artificial intelligence (AI) as they research products and shop, and the prevalence of AI will only rise from current levels.
Attest, a consumer research platform, conducted a study earlier this year to explore the impact of AI technology on consumers. The study surveyed 9,500 working-age consumers across eight countries: the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The survey evaluated consumer openness to AI, and tried to learn what excites them and what worries them about AI.
Here are five key takeaways from the study:
Consumers are skeptical about AI improving customer experience
Skepticism about the benefits of AI was surprisingly deep. Only 27.3% of respondents believe that AI can enhance the shopping experience, with only 26% believing it can lead to more personalized experiences. This skepticism stems from the perception that AI in retail is still in its early stages. So far, people aren’t seeing that it can provide tangible benefits to customers. Shoppers may still prefer human interaction and personalized service, something current AI doesn’t deliver.
Consumers are open to using AI chatbots
Despite the high level of AI skepticism, 52% of survey respondents said they would likely use a chatbot to get information from a company website. Millennial consumers (ages 25-34) were the most receptive at 60.2%. This suggests that consumers see value in AI-powered chatbots for quick information gathering and customer support inquiries.
One such chatbot is Rufus, Amazon’s shopping assistant. Rufus uses information from the internet, product listings, customer reviews, and community Q&As to answer questions and help shoppers compare products.
Consumers are using AI for pre-purchase research
41% of respondents reported they are likely to use an AI tool like ChatGPT to research purchases, with that number increasing to 50.1% for Gen Z consumers. Consumers also tend to trust the information they get from these AI tools. 39.9% stated they would trust information from AI tools, as compared to 28.8% who would not.
This indicates a shift in consumer behavior. AI tools are becoming a key part of pre-purchase research, perhaps because they can offer a more personalized and targeted approach to product discovery than traditional search engines. AI-powered search engines like Perplexity offer new shopping tools that challenge long-time search leader Google.
Consumers worry about job losses from AI
Over 59% of consumers fear that the increasing use of AI is going to lead to job losses. This fear is not unfounded; according to the International Monetary Fund, 40% of jobs worldwide will be affected by AI. Whether they are worried about retail job losses, losing their own job, or the overall impact of AI on jobs isn’t clear. Consumers also worry about the loss of the “human touch” in customer service interactions.
Consumers: AI-generated content to be labeled
Most of today’s chatbots are so bad that they won’t be mistaken for human. But, that’s changing rapidly. Shoppers worry about AI interactions that can’t be easily distinguished human ones. 83% of respondents believe that it should be legally required for all AI-generated content to be clearly labeled. 74.8% said that the creation of deepfakes should be illegal.
This call for transparency and regulation shows the high level of consumer concern about the potential for AI to create misleading or deceptive content. It’s rapidly becoming more difficult to tell real and AI-generated content apart, particularly in images and videos. Another concern may be AI mistakes, or hallucinations. People are learning to be skeptical of AI-created answers to questions, no matter how plausible.
Consumers are ambivalent about AI
This study shows that consumers are of two minds when it comes to AI. They see the potential benefits, particularly in areas like search and customer support. But, shoppers are also wary of AI’s implications for privacy, job security, and authenticity.
Brands will need to address these concerns head-on as they implement AI. They need to prioritize transparency, ethical data practices, and a human-centered approach to AI implementation. Those that do so will build customer trust and outperform others as they make AI part of their shopping experience.
