Consumers Trust AI to Search but Not to Shop, Mintel Report Finds

Consumers are willing to let artificial intelligence help them find and compare products, but they stop short of handing over the purchase itself, according to a Mintel report that puts a divide between AI-assisted search and automated buying.

The research found shoppers are comfortable with AI when it is used to search, compare and simplify decisions, yet are far less willing to let the technology act for them. That hesitation persists even as companies place large bets on agentic AI, tools designed to carry out tasks on a customer's behalf.

In China, 56% of consumers use AI to seek health and medical guidance, a figure the report cites as evidence of how far adoption already reaches into sensitive categories.

Mintel said the technology is advancing quickly, but questioned whether shoppers are ready to embrace it, and found that on the evidence, many are not. The report called it critical for brands to understand the gap as the cost of AI technology keeps rising.

Companies that succeed with agentic capabilities, the report added, will be those that can bridge the trust gap, combining AI-driven convenience with trusted expertise.

The findings point to a narrower role for automation in retail than some operators assume: assistance that speeds up discovery and comparison gains acceptance, while execution of the purchase does not.