One-third of US consumers trust AI for purchases

A recent survey indicates that consumers are slowly becoming more accepting of AI shopping assistants, but trust remains a significant issue. The Omnisend survey of 1,026 US shoppers found that about 34% would allow AI to make purchases for them. This means that nearly two-thirds of shoppers still prefer to make their own buying decisions. While many acknowledge the benefits of AI in shopping, concerns about data privacy are high. More than half of those surveyed worry about how their data is handled, and 28% have complete distrust in businesses regarding this issue. Additionally, many consumers report that frustrating experiences with AI, like poor recommendations, lead them to abandon purchases. There is also frustration over AI-driven customer service, with 40% of shoppers feeling that they lack sufficient human support. Many believe that business should focus more on improving customer service quality rather than relying heavily on AI for sales. Greg Zakowicz from Omnisend notes that while consumers appreciate personalized recommendations from AI, they are not ready to fully trust AI with their purchasing decisions. Retailers will need to build this trust by being transparent about data use and still allowing consumer control. Zakowicz emphasizes that AI should address real customer problems rather than just push for sales. Poor experiences with either AI or human assistance can lead to lost sales and frustrate shoppers. Retailers must work on finding the right balance between using AI and maintaining personal touch in their services.