Consumers are not ready to turn over their total spending power to AI agents—yet.
A report by Accenture found that more than a quarter of consumers across several countries, including the U.S. and China, would let an AI agent decide what to buy on trivial matters like restocking groceries, provided that the shopper has the final say on the purchase.
The management consulting firm online surveyed over 25,000 consumers in 16 countries last January across different product categories, from groceries and homecare to clothing and footwear.
The report saw a spectrum in the results, with consumers being more open to working with AI agents the more control shoppers ultimately had over the process. This openness declined the further the control was delegated to the AI.
“Consumers are not handing over everything,” Accenture said. “Our research shows they are delegating the parts of shopping that feel like work and holding on to the choices that carry personal meaning.”
For example, 85 percent are open to collaborate with an AI agent to find the best option and 32 percent would go as far as letting the AI decide what to buy, provided the consumer makes the payment. Only 9 percent would be willing to let AI complete purchases on their behalf.
The findings suggested that consumers may grow more open to AI the more they try it on trivial matters. Thirty-one percent said experimenting with “low-cost, low-risk purchases” would make them ore comfortable around AI agents.
The report adds to a plethora of surveys that have been trying to gauge the consumer appetite for AI in retail, a field that seems nowhere near reaching a consensus given so many variables that can push the needle in either direction. For example, a multi-country report such as this signals a certain extent of readiness to AI in commerce, while a recent U.S. survey by YouGov showed the opposite.
Interestingly, the Accenture report also underscored how much attention brands should pay to how they are viewed not just by consumers, but by AI agents as well. Thirty-sevenpercent of consumers who consider themselves loyal to a brand would readily jump ship “for a better fit” if the AI agent says so.
“Consumers hand off choices that feel like hassle, even complex ones, as long as the outcome does not carry personal weight,” it said. “They hold on to choices tied to identity, relationships or self‐expression, even when those choices are straightforward, and sometimes simply because the search itself is part of the pleasure.”
Accenture tried to avoid putting consumers in a box, since lines can be drawn within the same product category. For example, the report said the same person who delegates a grocery restock might refuse to let an agent replace their weekly visit to the farmer’s market.
The survey polled a sample of 25,590 consumers in 16 countries, namely: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mainland China and Hong Kong, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.
A disclaimer in the report said that generative AI was used in its “research production process,” which was then reviewed and validated by research experts “where possible.” In 2023, Accenture made a strategic investment in Writer, a generative AI platform.
