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AI Ranks Among Consumers’ Most Influential Shopping Sources According to New IAB Study

First-of-its-Kind Research Highlights How AI is Enhancing Modern Shopping with Strong Influence, Expanding the Purchase Journey, and Deepening Consumer Confidence.

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First-of-its-Kind Research Highlights How AI is Enhancing Modern Shopping with Strong Influence, Expanding the Purchase Journey, and Deepening Consumer Confidence

As artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates a fundamental shift in how consumers shop IAB unveiled today a first-of-its-kind study in collaboration with Talk Shoppe titled, “When AI Guides the Shopping Journey: Opportunities for Marketers in the Age of AI-Driven Commerce.” This report explores how AI is rapidly reshaping the digital consumer shopping journey and how marketers must adapt to meet high-intent consumers in real-time.

A key finding from the study is that among people who use AI for shopping, AI is now the second most influential shopping source behind only search engines—surpassing retailer websites and apps, and even recommendations from friends and family.

“AI is reinventing the traditional shopping journey and reshaping how and when brands should engage,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “The path to purchase has not been linear for some time, but now it’s intelligent, conversational, and happening on demand.”

Additional key findings from the study reveal how AI is transforming the way consumers shop and make purchase decisions.

AI in Shopping Is Seeing Rapid Adoption 
AI has quickly emerged as a dominant force in commerce. Among AI Shoppers¹, 46% say they use AI “most or every time” they shop and 80% state they expect to rely on it more in the future.

Additionally respondents said AI makes shopping more fun, intuitive, and personal. Over 70% of shoppers say it often anticipates their needs before they even ask, 85% agree its recommendations feel personalized, and 83% find it makes shopping more enjoyable.

Where AI Shines: Helping Shoppers Decide and Discover 
AI’s usage is highest in the beginning and middle of the shopping journey as consumers leverage it for research and comparison to provide clarity while shopping. More than 80% of shoppers deemed AI most effective when researching and comparing products.

By delivering clarity, AI enables shoppers to move forward quickly and confidently with their journeys. Most notably of AI shopping sessions, 81% say AI made the job easier and 77% say AI made them feel more confident in their decisions.

AI also unlocks discovery of new products and brands. Nearly 90% of shoppers say AI helps them discover products they wouldn’t have found otherwise, and 64% had AI surface a new product in-session.

“Our study found that AI’s greatest strength is its ability to streamline the research and comparison phase, empowering consumers to navigate their journey confidently,” added Jack Koch, Senior Vice President, Research & Insights, IAB. “AI isn’t replacing how consumers shop, it’s enhancing it. By narrowing down options and guiding shoppers forward, AI gives them the clarity to act.”

The Trust Gap: Only 46% of Shoppers Fully Trust AI Recommendations
Despite the momentum, consumers are still cautious as they seek transparency, reliability, and human validation in their AI experiences.

Even as AI simplifies choices, less than half (46%) of consumers fully trust the shopping recommendations AI provides, and 89% still double-check AI information to feel certain before purchase.

Friction moments such as missing links, unclear sources, and unfit recommendations, push consumers to verify with other online sources. Consumers cited the following would boost trust in AI including:

• Sourcing/where the information is coming from (88%)
• Verified customer reviews (87%)
• Explaining how answers are generated (75%)

Using AI Adds Steps in the Purchasing Journey but Not Necessarily Time 
For additional confirmation, almost all consumers (95%) reported taking at least one additional action post-AI shopping to feel confident in their purchase before ending their session. AI is not necessarily removing steps from the journey, but creating new, high-intent validation moments. Prior to AI engagement, the average shopper completed 1.6 steps online before making a purchase. However following AI interaction, that number jumped to 3.8.

“While AI makes decisions easier, it doesn’t necessarily remove steps. Instead it creates new ones that validate choices and reinforce trust,” concluded Koch. “For advertisers, this doesn’t shrink the funnel, it expands it, offering more opportunities to connect with high-intent shoppers at critical moments of influence. AI is no longer just a guide—it’s the gateway to conversion.”

Far from being a detour, high-intent shoppers’ visits to retailer or marketplace websites nearly tripled after interacting with AI. Seventy-eight percent of shoppers went to a retailer’s site and one in three clicked directly from an AI platform to a retailer or marketplace.

Opportunities for Brands to Lead in the Age of AI Shopping
Beyond uncovering new consumer insights, the report offers actionable recommendations for brands and retailers ready to take the next step with AI. With shoppers embracing AI-driven experiences, businesses have a significant opportunity to develop strategies that deepen customer relationships through personalization, convenience, and trust. The findings underscore the importance of meeting consumers in the shopping moments that matter most, where AI can enhance discovery, decision-making, and loyalty in meaningful ways.

The full “When AI Guides the Shopping Journey: Opportunities for Marketers in the Age of AI-Driven Commerce” study is available here.

Additionally, IAB is hosting a webinar “When AI Guides the Shopping Journey” featuring experts from Koddi, Microsoft, and Stingray who explore findings from this first-of-its-kind research study with Talk Shoppe revealing how AI has transformed the consumer shopping experience. The webinar takes place on Tuesday, October 28 from 1 – 2pm ET. Click here to register.

Methodology
The study encompasses real consumer behavior with data-driven insight, combining an immersive, screen-recorded online community featuring 450+ AI-powered shopping sessions with a robust survey of 600 consumers aged 18–64, delivering both depth and statistical confidence.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and collaboration of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

SOURCE Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)