- Trust in agentic AI is increasing and 9% will already let an agent carry out one or more transactions
- Successful low-risk trades are the key to greater trust
- Physical stores and face-to-face interactions remain vital
New data from Accenture reveals that three in four consumers (74%) would trust a personal AI agent more than their best friend to make a purchase on their behalf, as the world embraces the next generation of artificial intelligence.
The survey of more than 25,000 consumers across 16 countries revealed interesting trends around the technology, revealing that AI compares, negotiates, decides and even purchases on behalf of human users.
Additionally, 74% say they are now willing to allow AI agents to perform commerce-related tasks, such as negotiating deals, resolving customer service complaints, reordering products, and handling subscription renewals.
Consumers now trust AI agents more
While many consumers prefer to be in control and have the final say, nearly one in three (32%) say they would give an AI agent the final purchasing decision before checkout, subject to predefined parameters such as budget, brand considerations and other preferences.
One in 10 (9%) would even allow agents to complete transactions and make purchases independently without their approval.
“Consumers are now actively deciding how much authority they give to AI agents, whether to provide support, make choices, or act fully on their behalf,” said Kath Gramling, global head of consumer goods, retail and travel.
In the future, 31% say a successful, low-risk transaction, like buying groceries or reordering household essentials, could increase their willingness to trust agents more.
Even though computers promise to take over shopping journeys in the near future, consumers remain very supportive of physical stores. About a third (31%) believe stores will become even more important for experiences, and 30% believe face-to-face interactions will remain important for building trust.
“AI is changing the way people shop, not by replacing the role of retailers, but by changing where and how value is created,” added Brett Leary, head of retail at AI.
“The retailers who win will be those who use AI to simplify the functional side of shopping, while deliberately investing in stores and experiences that provide human moments that technology cannot replace.”
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