Shoppers Wary of AI Shopping Tools, Consistently Verify Details on Trusted Websites

A recent IAB and Talk Shoppe study reveals that while AI accelerates product discovery and comparison, consumers still take multiple additional steps to verify information on retailer sites, search engines, and forums before making purchase decisions.

Trust Gap Drives Additional Research Steps

AI shopping assistants are changing how consumers research products, but not necessarily simplifying the process. According to the comprehensive report, shoppers perform nearly four times more research steps after using AI tools, with 95% of users taking extra verification measures before concluding their shopping sessions.

"AI pushes people to verify details on retailer sites, search, reviews, and forums rather than replacing those steps," notes the study, which combined 450+ screen-recorded AI shopping sessions with survey responses from 600 U.S. consumers.

The trust deficit in AI recommendations mirrors similar patterns observed in other digital commerce contexts, where robust e-commerce security measures build consumer confidence through transparency and reliability.

How AI Changes the Shopping Journey

The research reveals a significant shift in consumer behavior when AI enters the shopping process. While AI tools effectively speed up discovery and comparison phases, they create an expanded journey rather than a streamlined one.

From discovery to verification

Before using AI assistants, consumers typically took 1.6 research steps. After engaging with AI, this number jumped to an average of 3.8 steps. The increase stems directly from consumers' need to validate information provided by AI tools.

Retailer and marketplace websites emerge as the primary verification destinations. The percentage of shoppers visiting retailer sites more than doubled after using AI—increasing from 20% to 50%. Nearly one-third (32%) clicked through directly from an AI tool to a retailer site.

During these validation visits, shoppers typically focus on:

• Verifying prices and available promotions
• Checking product variants and specifications
• Reading customer reviews
• Confirming product availability

According to a recent Gartner report, this verification behavior is expected to persist even as AI tools become more sophisticated, reflecting a fundamental need for confirmation from authoritative sources.

Trust issues limit AI effectiveness

Consumer skepticism remains a significant barrier to fully AI-driven shopping experiences. Only 46% of participants reported fully trusting AI shopping recommendations, with several common friction points eroding confidence:

• Broken or missing source links
• Discrepancies in product specifications or pricing
• Outdated availability information
• Recommendations that fail to account for budget constraints or compatibility requirements

These trust gaps consistently drive consumers back to traditional research channels—retailer websites, search engines, review platforms, and user forums—where they can verify information from trusted sources.

Business Implications for Retailers and Brands

The findings present clear strategic implications for businesses navigating the evolving AI-influenced shopping landscape.

"If your product data, comparison content, and reviews are inconsistent with retailer listings, shoppers will notice when they verify elsewhere," the report warns. "This reinforces the need to align details across channels to retain customer trust."

For businesses looking to optimize for this new shopping reality, the research suggests several concrete action items:

1. Maintain strict synchronization between product specifications, pricing, availability, and variants across all retail channels and your own website
2. Create detailed comparison and alternatives pages highlighting the specific attributes consumers frequently request in AI prompts
3. Implement expanded structured data for specifications, variants, availability, and reviews to improve information consistency
4. Develop content addressing common customer concerns found in forums and comment sections
5. Actively monitor the queries and communities where shoppers validate information to address recurring information gaps

Consistency across channels is paramount as shoppers increasingly toggle between AI tools and traditional verification sources. Brands that implement comprehensive e-commerce automation solutions for product data management will be better positioned to maintain the information accuracy that builds consumer trust.

Optimizing for the AI-to-retailer pathway

As AI increasingly serves as the first touchpoint in product discovery, retailers should focus on creating seamless transitions for consumers moving from AI recommendations to their platforms. This includes:

• Ensuring landing pages directly address common verification points (pricing, availability, specifications)
• Highlighting customer reviews prominently to validate product quality claims
• Creating comparison tools that allow shoppers to easily confirm AI-provided information
• Implementing AI-powered customer service tools that address verification questions without requiring additional research

How Consumers Can Use These Insights

For shoppers navigating the emerging AI shopping landscape, these findings offer practical guidance:

1. Use AI tools as a starting point for product discovery and initial comparison, but plan to verify key details before purchasing
2. Cross-check critical information like pricing, specifications, and availability directly on retailer websites
3. Pay attention to review consistency across multiple platforms for a more accurate product assessment

The Future of AI-Assisted Shopping

While AI is clearly influencing how people discover products, traditional verification channels remain essential for building purchase confidence. Respondents indicated that AI made research feel easier, but their ultimate buying decisions still depend heavily on verified information from trusted sources.

Looking ahead, AI assistants will likely continue playing a significant role in the discovery phase while retailer and brand websites maintain their position as crucial confirmation points for the specific details that drive purchase decisions.

As one industry expert noted at a recent retail technology conference, "AI is becoming the compass that points consumers in promising directions, but they still want to see the destination with their own eyes before committing."