Consumers show growing skepticism toward AI in retail

A survey by Sinch involving 2,501 consumers across eight countries indicates growing skepticism toward artificial intelligence in retail. Only 43% of respondents believe AI will make shopping easier this year, a decrease from 48% in 2025. Data privacy remains the primary concern for 43% of shoppers.

While consumers remain cautious, preferences vary by task and demographic. For product advice, 53% of shoppers prefer human recommendations over AI. Regarding phone support, 48% prefer human agents, though 52% are willing to use AI voice agents if a transfer to a person is available. Younger demographics show higher acceptance, with 55% of Millennials and 51% of Gen Z trusting AI recommendations as much as or more than humans.

This shift occurs as online sales continue to expand. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, online sales accounted for 17.1% of all U.S. retail sales in the second quarter of 2026, growing 12.2% over the previous year.