Consumers Want AI Shopping Help, Not Purchase Decisions

As companies race to invest in agentic commerce, consumer willingness to let artificial intelligence make purchase decisions for them topped out at just 11 percent across lower-stakes categories, such as personal care and household supplies, according to Gartner.

The survey found greater openness to AI tools that help narrow product choices, as 31 percent of consumers said they would be willing to allow AI to narrow choices for household supplies purchases, and 28 percent were willing to do so for personal electronics purchases.

“Consumers are not looking to outsource shopping decisions to AI,” said Kate Muhl, a vice president analyst in the Gartner Marketing practice. “They want AI to help them find better information, compare prices, identify deals, and narrow choices, while keeping final decision-making control for themselves.”

Marketers would do well, then, not to focus investments on fully autonomous shopping agents, the firm said.

Gartner cited trust and accuracy as the biggest barriers to broader adoption, noting that early adopters still encountered friction when using AI for shopping. Among consumers who used AI while shopping for recent purchaseS, 54 percent said they had to double-check the accuracy of all information generative AI tools provided, and 62 percent said information from genAI tools ended up being a waste of their time.

“Accuracy is now a brand issue,” Muhl said. “If consumers believe AI shopping tools create more work by requiring them to verify every recommendation, they will not see those tools as convenient or valuable. Marketers must prioritize transparent, reliable information, especially around price, product fit and recommendations.

 “The brands that earn consumer trust will be those that use AI to enhance consumer control, not replace it,” she added.

Companies would also do well not to eliminate salespeople from the equation, despite consumers wanting to do more self-service in the buying journey.

A separate Gartner study found that 69 percent of B2B buyers prefer to validate AI-generated insights with human sales reps, even as 45 percent say they used genAI during recent purchases. Buyers also reported using an average of seven information sources as they evaluated vendors and products.

“B2B buyers are more comfortable using digital channels and genAI to navigate the purchase process on their own, but that does not eliminate the role of the seller,” said Robert Blaisdell, a vice president analyst and chief of research in the Gartner Sales practice. “Buyers still turn to sales reps to validate AI-generated insights and support decision-making at critical moments in the journey.” 

As AI becomes a more common part of the B2B purchase journey, buyers are also weighing the reliability of the information they receive. Fifty-one percent say they are more likely to encounter misleading information from genAI, while 49 percent say they are more likely to encounter misleading information from sales reps.

These findings point to a more nuanced buying environment: buyers want the speed and convenience of digital and AI-assisted research, but they still rely on sales reps when they need reassurance, context, and decision support. Reps remain the most important information source when buyers are researching a business problem or need, identifying a preferred supplier and securing internal support, and finalizing the purchase.

“Sales leaders should not interpret buyer preference for digital self-service as a signal that sellers matter less,” Blaisdell stated. “It is a signal that sellers need to show up differently, engaging where they can help buyers validate information, reduce risk, and move forward with greater confidence.”