JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — Shoppers increasingly are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to inform their purchasing decisions, according to new research from the Acosta Group.

The group’s AI shopper study found that 66% of shoppers report using AI tools while shopping, with Gen Z and millennial shoppers being the most likely cohorts to use AI tools. Among Gen Z and millennials, half report AI having had some influence on their purchasing choices, primarily to help them choose from among product options, Acosta Group said.

“Success requires brands to build new or elevated pathways for their products to be understood, recommended, compared and selected by any AI,” said John Carroll, president of connected commerce for Acosta Group.

The report identified saving money, saving time, product comparisons and product research as the primary reasons consumers choose to use AI. The tools are used most often for frequently purchased categories, and the majority of shoppers remain committed to familiar brands versus choosing unfamiliar brands based on AI recommendations. However, 40% of shoppers who said they had purchasing decisions influenced by AI said they tried a brand they had never purchased before, representing a potential area of opportunity, according to the report.

Autonomous purchasing is yet to gain broader traction, Acosta Group said. Among the 34% of shoppers that report using generative AI, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, 22% said they trust AI shopping agents to make purchasing decisions for them.

“Shoppers’ trust in AI for product recommendations has been slow in evolving to allow agents to make purchases on their behalf, reflecting concerns for the privacy of their own lives and those of their families,” said Kathy Risch, senior vice president of shopper insights and thought leadership for Acosta Group. “The more value shoppers experience with AI, the more likely they will share information, especially as brands and retailers provide transparency on how it will be protected. Companies that earn shopper trust now will be best positioned as AI becomes a more active purchase agent.”

Source https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/31146-ais-growing-role-in-purchasing-decisions