Research from Horizon Media indicates that while consumers have broadly adopted AI for product research and price comparison, they remain skeptical that the technology will necessarily act in their best interests.
If they determine that AI is harming them, the media agency suggests that the loyalty consumers have to the brand in question is at risk.
Already, 82% of consumers responding to a Horizon survey said they have used AI for product research or comparison. However, 68% said they believe actions taken by a shopping agent may not be solely in their best interest. So, in one instance, any negative experience with an automated purchase, which occurs 40% of the time, according to Horizon, has the potential to hurt a consumer’s relationship with the brand.
From the broader perspective, any negative experience puts a consumer’s brand loyalty at risk. Researchers at Horizon characterized the effect as a trust tax, a quantifiable threat to the long-term loyalty of more than 27% of a brand’s customer base. The research signifies that shoppers want more control of tasks with financial consequences, high personal stakes or subjective taste.
In conducting its research, Horizon found:
- Consumers want help, not a handoff: 70% express some comfort using artificial intelligence for deal hunting, but only 33% are comfortable enough to allow AI to complete a purchase on their behalf.
- Even if AI makes a purchase successful, 40% of consumers say they expect to feel anxious or frustrated.
- As they consider the technology, 76% of consumers believe AI shopping agents should work for them, but only 27% believe they actually do.
Despite that, however, 90% of consumers reported satisfaction with AI-assisted shopping experiences they’ve had so far.
Horizon maintained that companies can take steps to reassure consumers even as their attitudes toward AI remain in flux, including guiding decision-making with tools that simplify choices and build confidence, and reducing risk and anxiety through transparency, safeguards, and post-purchase reassurance.
Laura Sammartino, Horizon senior vice president, future of consumer and culture, said in announcing the survey results. “Our research provides a clear financial warning for brands rushing into autonomous commerce. The premise that brands might trade short-term gains for long-term loyalty is not just a theory; it’s a quantifiable risk. A staggering 68% of consumers already believe an AI shopping agent may not be loyal to them. This ‘trust gap’ represents a massive segment of any brand’s customer base that is already at risk. When these consumers have a negative or anxious experience with an automated purchase, which our research shows happens 40% of the time, their loyalty is directly threatened.”
