Gen Z and Millennials Drive AI Shopping Agent Adoption

Key Findings:

• Nearly half of Gen Zers (47%) and millennials (48%) are at least somewhat likely to use AI agents for shopping, according to a YouGov survey.
• Gen Xers follow closely at 45%, while only 33% of baby boomers are open to the idea.

Guardrails Remain Essential:

• Spending Limits: 53% of likely adopters would require approval for purchases under $100, and 28% would need to approve any amount.
• Accountability: Consumers are split on responsibility for unwanted purchases—33% blame the company, while 36% hold the consumer accountable.

Industry Trends:

• As generative AI becomes a tool for product discovery, AI-driven purchases are expected to rise.
• Major players like Google and Amazon are launching home AI products to capitalize on this trend.

Brand Recommendations:

• Responsible AI Deployment: Brands must monitor for hallucinations, maintain human oversight, and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Brands should optimize for genAI search discoverability.

Further Reading:

• Explore the implications of AI assistants in retail media with What the Rise of GenAI Assistants Means for Retail Media.