A recent survey by Bain & Company has revealed that 71% of consumers are unaware they are encountering artificial intelligence (AI) technology during their online shopping experiences, despite most having recently shopped with retailers using such technology. The survey also found that 41% of consumers are comfortable using a generative AI (GenAI) tool from a brand they trust, with the majority expressing optimism about the impact of GenAI. However, more than half of those polled identified inaccurate product information and obvious errors as the most significant negative impacts on user experience with AI.
Merritt Robinson, partner and global head of design for the Bain Innovation & Design team stated, “The online shopping experience has been finely tuned over the past couple of decades. Retailers’ near-term generative AI priorities should focus on complementing existing shopping habits, rather than replacing them. It’s about enhancing, not disrupting, shopping flows.
This includes moving beyond explicit tools like chatbots to passive solutions, such as summarized reviews on product pages.
Robinson added that much of AI’s benefit will come from more proactive solutions, such as personalized content, tone of voice adjustments, and anticipatory service in customer interactions. Generative AI is expected to help retailers engage with customers more naturally and helpfully. As AI continues to integrate into e-commerce, consumers might remain unaware of its presence, but its impact on improving user experience through subtle enhancements is set to grow.
GenAI enhancing online shopping experiences
A separate study conducted by Capgemini across 12 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific surveyed 12,000 consumers aged 18 and above. The study revealed that 71% of global shoppers are eager to see Gen AI integrated into their shopping experiences, with demand driven primarily by younger generations such as Gen Z and Millennials.
Lindsey Mazza, Capgemini’s global retail lead, stated, “Consumers today want personalized shopping experiences enhanced by AI and generative AI. Retailers must adopt strategies that put the consumer at the center, leveraging AI to deliver seamless yet exceptional customer interactions. The clear shift towards social commerce is also significant.
Retailers need to capitalize on their social and digital advertising platforms to engage consumers early in purchasing.
The study also found that 46% of surveyed consumers are enthusiastic about Gen AI’s role in product discovery in online retail, with three-quarters open to receiving recommendations generated by Gen AI. Additionally, 58% of consumers now turn to Gen AI tools instead of traditional search engines when seeking product or service recommendations. Despite these advancements, consumer satisfaction with Gen AI implementation has slightly dipped, falling to 37% in 2024 from 41% the previous year.
This highlights the need for retailers to focus on how and where consumers want the technology to be implemented.
