EXCLUSIVE: Despite trust issues, consumer use of AI search grows
Consumers are leveraging artificial intelligence for product search, whether they like it or not.
Seven-in-10 consumers say their use of AI for product and brand search has increased during the past year. Only 4% have never used AI tools for search at all. However, results of a survey of 1,008 U.S. consumers exclusively released to Chain Store Age by digital marketing agency Fractl reveals that only 54% of respondents found AI more helpful than traditional search, down 34% from 82% in 2025.
During that same time period, the percentage of respondents actively rating AI less helpful than traditional search grew almost sixfold to 17% from 3%. Surprisingly, boomers (63%) were more likely than Gen Z respondents (47%) to say AI search is more helpful.
Brand trust
Respondents were asked how brand usage of AI affects their trust. The percentage saying heavy AI use would decrease their trust in a favorite brand doubled to 40% from 20% in 2025. Fourteen percent said their brand trust would decrease significantly, while another 14% would trust a brand more for using AI heavily.
[READ MORE: AI is affecting brand loyalty – here’s how]
More than half (54%) of Gen Z respondents say their trust would decrease if a favorite brand used AI for most marketing, compared to 33% of Gen X and 32% of boomers. Women penalize more than men (44% vs. 34%).
In addition, 84% of respondents want written AI content labeled while 91% want video AI content labeled, 90% want AI images labeled and 87% want AI audio labeled.
Other findings
- Two-in-three (64%) consumers agree respondents will replace traditional search engines within five years — essentially flat with 66% in 2025
- Eight-in-10 boomers expect AI to replace search, compared to 51% of Gen Z. respondents. The least AI-native group is the most convinced of its inevitability.
- Asked who they trust most for product recommendations, respondents ranked Google search results first (39%). Reddit (15%) edged out AI tools (14%) for second place. Review sites (11%) and friends or family (11%) tied for fourth. According to Fractl analysis, AI tools are now an established player but not a trusted one. Google leads AI roughly three to one for purchase-grade recommendations.
