AI shopping assistants are catching on – but shoppers still need convincing

Key Findings

• 43% of Americans are aware of AI shopping assistants, but only 14% have used one.
• Gen Z (24%) and parents of children under 18 (21%) are the most likely to have tried AI shoppers.
• Among users, top use cases include answering product questions (44%) and finding the best deals (34%).
• Among non-users, 67% say they’d use AI to find the best prices, and 56% want help comparing products.
• Trust remains a major barrier: 41% of Americans say they don’t trust AI shopping assistants at all.
• Only 13% say they mostly or completely trust AI for shopping advice – compared to 53% for personal recommendations.
• Features most likely to drive adoption include product comparison across retailers (28%) and faster answers to product questions (27%).

Walmart’s recently launched Sparky, an AI shopping assistant that summarizes reviews, recommends products and helps shoppers plan and make purchases. Sparky joins other early AI shopping assistants such as Amazon’s Rufus, which became available to all consumers last year.

Are consumers ready to let AI steer their shopping carts and how will Americans make use of these assistants? New YouGov data digs into consumers’ feelings about these new technologies.

Adoption is still limited – but varies by generation

As a new technology, AI shopping assistants have not yet reached all, or even most, consumers. Only 43% of respondents were aware of AI shopping assistants before taking the survey, and just 14% had ever used one. Younger consumers are leading the way in adoption, with 24% of Gen Z having already used the new technology. In comparison, baby boomers lag at 7%.

Furthermore, most consumers remain hesitant with more than half (56%) say they’ve never used one and are not interested in doing so. Still, there’s potential for growth – 22% say they’re interested in giving AI shopping assistants a try.

Functionality that matters: What shoppers really want

Americans who are open to AI shopping assistants are primarily interested in practical applications rooted in everyday shopping needs.

Among those who have already used one, 44% say they got answers to product questions, making this the top use case. Almost as many (41%) use them to find specific products online, while 34% turn to AI for help finding the best prices or deals. Product recommendations (33%) and locating items in-store (28%) also rank high.

However, those who have not yet tried an AI shopper but would be interested in trying one have different priorities. For curious but cautious consumers, finding the best deals is the most appealing function (67%), followed by comparing similar products (56%) and getting product information (55%). Smaller proportions are interested in more complex features like virtual try-ons or planning meals and events (24%). Only 4% would trust an AI to complete a purchase without their final review.

What’s holding AI back? Trust and transparency

Despite the growing interest among many, most remain skeptical with over half of respondents say they’re not interested in using an AI shopping assistant. We asked this group what’s holding them back, and their responses pose a challenge for brands looking to promote adoption.

The majority don’t see the need (54%) for this particular tech, while 45% prefer human assistance. Concerns about privacy and data security were cited by a third (34%), and 30% said they worry AI assistants would try to upsell them on unnecessary items. Nearly a quarter (24%) worry recommendations would be inaccurate.

The issue isn’t ease of use – few respondents said they think AI shopping tools would be difficult to navigate. Instead, trust and skepticism about AI in general are the central barriers. In open-ended responses, some consumers expressed outright hostility with comments such as they “don’t trust AI,” “hate AI,” or that it’s “destroying our planet.” Others framed AI as a threat to democracy, humanity, and the environment. These sentiments highlight a deeper resistance, particularly among more tech-wary consumers.

Despite their expanding functionality, AI shopping assistants rank among the least trusted sources of shopping information. Only 13% of Americans say they completely or mostly trust AI assistants – a figure that lags well behind more established forms such as personal recommendations (53%) and consumer reviews (48%). Expert reviews perform moderately well, with 40% saying they trust them.

The data shows that influencer recommendations (11%) are currently the only source of information less trusted than AI assistants, with company-sponsored advertising doing better than both (15%).

These trust gaps suggest that, before AI can guide purchase decisions, among many consumers it requires a credibility upgrade. For now, most shoppers still lean on human input when navigating the retail landscape.

What kinds of purchases will consumers trust AI with? 

When it comes to specific product categories, consumers see clear areas where AI could be useful. The top categories have similar scores, with around one in five consumers saying they would consider using AI to help them shop for consumer electronics (21%), clothing and accessories (20%), groceries and household essentials (19%), and travel planning (18%).

These are categories where consumers have a great deal of choice and deal-seeking is common and where AI assistants that simplify comparisons and tailor suggestions have a chance to thrive. Consumers are less keen to lean on AI when it comes to their pets (12%), their cars (12%) or their finances (9%).

Parents are a key audience for AI assistants

In addition to younger Americans and men, parents of children under 18 are a particularly receptive audience for AI shopping assistants.

Compared to the general population, parents are more likely to be aware of AI shopping assistants (48% vs. 42%), to understand what they do (63% vs. 44%), to have used one (21% vs. 12%), and to express interest in trying them (28% vs. 21%).

The bottom line: Build value, earn trust, grow adoption

The data shows that while there is currently a fair amount of resistance, there is a path forward for retailers’ AI shopping assistants if consumers believe they can add value. For open-minded consumers, this is relatively straightforward – helping them find the right product at the best price, with reliable information they can trust. It is notably more difficult among more skeptical groups where concerns about privacy, manipulation, and the social impact of AI are commonplace.

Methodology:

YouGov Surveys: Serviced polled a nationally representative sample of 1414 U.S. adults online. Results are weighted by age, gender, race, education, and region to be representative of all U.S. adults (18+).