The news: Shoppers are using AI tools at a high rate but are split on brands’ use of AI-generated content and whether companies are delivering on customer experience promises.

• 68% of global shoppers have adopted AI tools for shopping, per VML’s 2025 Future Shopper report.
• 46% of consumers aren’t bothered by generative AI (genAI) content, giving brands more confidence to experiment with generative content and copy creation.
• Nearly as many (45%) often abandon purchases due to frustrating digital experiences—opening an opportunity for AI to improve customer service and site usability.

Use cases: With budgets tightening and consumer spending slowing, shoppers are leaning on AI tools to discover product value and maximize budgets. Among genAI users in the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, 35% use it for budget-based recommendations, per Coveo, and 24% use AI to create shopping lists or plans within spending limits.

Confident but skeptical: Half of shoppers think that AI’s pros outweigh its risks. That optimism in AI’s utility is reflected in the 52% who think AI will help free them up from mundane tasks, per VML.

However, that excitement is checked by confusion. Nearly half (45%) don’t entirely understand what it means when a company or brand states that AI is integrated into its products, demonstrating a need for concrete, clear explanations of how AI is improving consumer shopping experiences.

Frustration and expectations: Shoppers are eager for AI to improve their buying journeys.

• 52% of consumers are excited by the idea of having an AI agent shop on their behalf, per VML, signaling rising demand for more autonomous assistance.
• 63% say AI-powered personalization helps them discover new products, but 45% think brands are still failing to tailor recommendations effectively.

Our take: Shoppers’ high rate of abandoned purchases and letdowns around customization suggest AI’s potential in commerce isn’t yet translating into smoother customer journeys.

Brands can keep shoppers engaged by demonstrating AI’s value in tangible ways—like smarter recommendations and smoother checkout—rather than relying on broad claims of AI integration.

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