Retailers have been rolling out shopping assistants, chatbots, and automated purchasing capabilities supported by artificial intelligence. However, consumers continue to be wary of AI’s too-great control over their online store visits.
When asked which current AI-powered features they found most helpful, 38% of shoppers said personalized product recommendations while 31% said faster product discovery.
In the survey, 42% of consumers said a flurry of targeted ads is the main drawback of e-commerce AI. A further 58% of consumers said they worry about how AI handles their personal data.
Some 39% of consumers said they have abandoned purchases while shopping due to frustrating AI interactions, such as inaccurate recommendations or poor chatbot interactions.
“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, 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.”
