Survey: Consumers forming 'emotional' bond with AI; asking for help with personal goals
Consumers are becoming more comfortable with artificial intelligence tools – including emotionally.
More than half (55%) of consumers were open to AI making purchases on their behalf last year, according to Accenture. Now, they are more emotionally invested: More than a third (36%) active gen AI users – defined as people using gen AI tools at least weekly for personal and/or professional reasons – think of gen AI as “a good friend.”
The large majority (93%) of active gen AI users have or would consider asking the technology for help with personal development goals, and one-in-10 (9%) consumers rank gen AI as their single-most trusted source of what to buy. More than seven-in-10 (72%) consumers have used standalone gen AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude, or engaged with gen AI through social media or search.
“For some time, our view has been that AI will become the most important guide for consumers to decide what and where they buy,” said Oliver Wright, Accenture’s global lead for consumer Industries. "Our findings confirm that this is happening faster than we expected because of the emotional bonds that humans are forming with AI. Retailers and brands now stand at the next inflection point with generative and agentic AI. This technology provides an unparalleled opportunity to steal a march on the competition by providing relatable and relevant experiences tailored to the individual in a more friendly and helpful way.”
[READ MORE: Large U.S. companies show interest and concern around agentic AI]
Accenture’s new report also detailed consumer sentiment overall. More than half of consumers (54%) report feeling unusually high levels of uncertainty, a sentiment that has doubled in the past year (24% in Dec 2024) and three times the level reported in 2023 (18%).
Accenture noted that despite the economic uncertainty, retailers and brands that compete on experience and connection can drive growth. Consumers are 1.5-times as engaged, 2.3-times as likely to recommend a brand online, and 1.7-times as likely to accept a higher price from a brand or retailer that provides emotionally-engaging experiences. More than one-third (34%) of consumers would switch from a preferred brand to one that makes them feel special.
Loyalty programs are key for driving return visits as well. Accenture’s data found that members of loyalty programs are 1.6-times more likely to be experientially or emotionally motivated, more willing to share data and engage with personalized experiences. They are 1.4-times as likely to help brands refine new products and services.
For its Consumer Pulse Research, Accenture surveyed a representative sample of 18,214 consumers from 14 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Mainland China and Hong Kong, Italy, India, Japan, Spain, Sweden, the UAE, the U.K. and the U.S. The survey was conducted online and was conducted between Jan. 6-17, 2025.
