Survey: Shoppers not sold on AI shopping assistants

More than half of consumers have some AI concerns.

The emergence of artificial intelligence-equipped shopping tools is being viewed with some wariness by consumers.

Two-in-three consumers surveyed by e-commerce marketing company Omnisend would refuse letting AI make purchases on their behalf even if they get a better deal. Specific concerns about AI-equipped shopping assistants cited by respondents (more than one response allowed) include:

AI’s handling of personal customer data (58%).
AI feels more like an upselling tool than an assistant (42%).
Lack of human support in customer service (40%).
Privacy concerns (37%).
Lack of trust in providing a company with personal customer data (28%).
Inaccurate recommendations (21%).

Beyond trust concerns, 39% of respondents have abandoned purchases due to frustrating AI interactions, such as inaccurate recommendations or poor chatbot experiences. In addition, nearly half (48%) of respondents say AI should focus on improving customer service rather than making automated purchase decisions.

When asked how worried they are about how AI handles data in e-commerce, roughly 55% of respondents were either somewhat concerned (roughly 35%) or very concerned (roughly 20%). Roughly 25% of respondents had neutral feelings on the subject, with approximately 15% saying they are not very concerned and the remaining 5% not being concerned at all.

Respondents were not entirely negative in their assessment of AI-enabled shopping solutions. When asked which current AI-based customer assistance features they found most useful, 38% of respondents cited personalized product recommendations, while 31% said AI helps them discover products faster.

Interestingly, a recent survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers from vision AI provider Everseen indicates a much more positive public view of AI-enabled shopping technology.

More than half (55%) of consumers surveyed by Everseen said are comfortable with AI and advanced retail technology, and nearly two-thirds (65%) said AI makes shopping more convenient.

However, the Everseen survey did show that transparency is important for consumers, as 72% of respondents want greater transparency about AI use in grocery and retail stores.

"Consumers are open to AI enhancing their shopping experience, but there's a big difference between receiving personalized recommendations and handing over full purchasing control,” said Greg Zakowicz, senior e-commerce expert at Omnisend. “Large-scale adoption of AI-driven purchasing requires a fundamental shift in consumer behavior — and that's not happening anytime soon. Shoppers want to know exactly what they're buying, whether it's a size, color or brand. Trusting an AI to make those decisions autonomously is a tough sell."

The survey was commissioned by Omnisend and conducted by Cint in February 2025. A total of 1,026 respondents were surveyed across the U.S.