Dive Brief:
- Nearly half of consumers are using AI tools during their online shopping journeys, according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers released Thursday by adMarketplace. One-quarter of these shoppers say they use the technology frequently.
- More than a quarter of respondents said that personalized results based on their inputs are the most valuable AI-driven feature, according to the study. Consumers also say they find image-based search and AI-powered chatbots for product queries useful.
- One-quarter of consumers said that more accurate and relevant search results would make them more likely to engage with AI-powered search on their shopping journeys.
Dive Insight:
AI-powered search experiences are steadily becoming more common, and it could change how people shop online.
More than two-thirds of respondents say they’ve interacted with AI-generated prompts and results when searching for products online, according to adMarketplace.
Generative AI tools in particular are poised to alter the nature of e-commerce. Seven in 10 respondents said they are excited to integrate the technology into their purchasing experiences, according to a recent Capgemini Research Institute report.
Generative AI can meet consumers’ demands for greater personalization by adapting and optimizing experiences based on behavior patterns, Gabriel Bridger, global head of experience and strategy at Rightpoint, told CX Dive last month.
The key to AI search success is to make the technology feel like a natural extension of existing search experiences, according to Asher Feldman, VP of Analytics at adMarketplace. AI’s contributions to the experience shouldn’t feel tacked on or disruptive.
“The key will be to integrate AI into a user experience the end user is familiar and comfortable with, and one that AI integration doesn’t upend in a meaningful way — instead creating a truly ‘native’ experience,” Feldman said in an email.
One in five consumers say they would not use AI-driven search experiences, and a similar number of respondents say they don’t find AI features useful when searching for products and services online, according to adMarketplace.
It’s the label, rather than the results, that creates distrust, according to Feldman. Companies that use AI to create native experiences are more likely to win over these consumers.
“Not every consumer is set to change their preferences at exactly the same time, so the experience can not be jarringly shifted toward AI without a mind toward the long tail of consumers who need time to adjust to this new reality,” Feldman said.
