The Disconnect Between AI Ambition, Consumer Behavior
As AI models and agentic commerce continue to emerge throughout the consumer journey, current economic pressures point to a different reality for shoppers, who remain focused on price, trust and seamless experiences, according to recent insights from global creative company VML.
VML's 10th annual “Future Shopper” report examined AI’s impact on the retail industry and the extent to which CPG companies can use the technology to influence how consumers discover and purchase products. The research found a growing disconnect between industry AI ambition and actual consumer behavior.
The global study revealed that while AI adoption has surged, shoppers continue to make purchasing decisions based on value, product availability, trust and a frictionless customer experience — especially considering current economic pressures. To a certain extent, consumers are embracing AI as a tool, but are still a long way away from allowing it to replace their own judgment.
“AI dominates the conversations around business and commerce, but consumers are telling us a more nuanced story,” Brent Taylor, global CEO of WPP Commerce and global commerce lead of VML, said in a media release. “Consumers are embracing AI and digital commerce, but they're also driven by financial pressure and growing intentionality in who they trust.”
Drawing on global consumer research of 28,000 consumers across 17 countries, the research points to a growing confidence gap and rise in consumer scrutiny, with 82% of consumers reporting they have used AI. Even so, AI adoption remains concentrated around everyday tasks rather than autonomous purchasing.
More than half of all consumers (58%) admitted to cross-checking AI-generated product recommendations before purchasing, 49% say AI-generated product imagery reduces trust in a brand, and 48% skip content they believe was created using AI altogether.
The report also found that consumers remain skeptical about using AI, with 53% believing that AI shopping tools are commercially influenced and a slightly higher percentage (55%) saying sponsored search results make it harder to find the best products. More than a third of consumers simply do not allow AI to make purchases on their behalf.
“Long-term loyalty will need to earn consumer confidence at every stage of the customer journey through transparency, consistency and exceptional customer experience,” Taylor added.
The report highlights several shifts shaping the shopper landscape:
- Nearly 6 in 10 consumers report greater financial anxiety than ever before, leading many to cut discretionary spending and reduce their emphasis on sustainability. Shoppers are prioritizing more carefully, but protecting “sacred luxuries” like clothing, coffee and beauty.
- Search engines are once again consumers' top source for product inspiration and discovery, even as shoppers grow more skeptical of the platforms. Forty-four percent say search quality has declined over the past year, 55% believe sponsored results make it harder to find the best products, and 47% feel their favorite online platforms have become worse over time.
- Four in 10 consumers say they would exchange deeply personal information — including real-time location, shopping habits and health metrics — for monthly income, highlighting a shifting view of privacy, data and value exchange.
- Just over half (51%) of consumer spending now takes place online. Regardless of channel, shoppers rank price, product availability and frictionless experiences above all else. Nearly half (48%) say they won't shop with brands that fail to meet their basic digital expectations, while 41% regularly abandon purchases because of frustrating online shopping experiences.
- Family and friends remain consumers' most trusted source of purchasing advice, while traditional creators are losing influence and AI tools emerge as a growing source of recommendations for shoppers.
“A decade of Future Shopper research tells us that commerce never stands still, but the foundations of great brands remain remarkably consistent,” said Neil Dawson, global chief strategy officer of VML. “Today’s consumers are more informed, more demanding and more discerning than ever. The winners of the next era of commerce won’t simply be the brands with the best technology and data — they’ll be the ones that earn and sustain consumer confidence.”
