• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer, over 1 hour ago

Consumers trust recommendations from artificial intelligence (AI) to an extent -- but not completely.

AI ranks fifth among seven information sources on trust at 59%, behind search engine results at 76%, friends and family at 74%, brand websites at 73%, and retailer sites at 70%. It also ranks ahead of store associates and influencers, according to Razorfish.

These findings were published in The Agentic Divide report, analyzing how Americans buy with AI and where the market has outrun the brands trying to reach it.

Rather than a replacement for traditional search, AI has created a "second front door," with 14% using AI to start a major purchase.

Some 29% expect to make a purchase via AI within two years. Despite this shift, search as an entry has not collapsed, according to the data.

Determining the trends and how consumers view the use of AI to make purchases, Razorfish ran two independent surveys among U.S. AI users in partnership with audience research company GWI.

The first study was fielded in March 2026 with 2,000 respondents across five categories: travel, vehicles, insurance, mobile devices, and home appliances.

The second was fielded in April 2026 with 1,500 respondents across seven new categories including checking accounts, credit cards, home lending, investing, consumer electronics, fashion, and healthcare.

While older buyers like Baby Boomers use AI, they don’t want to just hand off to it the decision of what to buy or allow it to make the purchase.

Some 49% said they have used ChatGPT in the past month, compared with 80%of Gen Z. Only 13% of Baby Boomers are comfortable letting AI complete a purchase, compared with 50% of Gen Z.

Consumers named four things they want from an AI recommendation -- from an explanation of the reasoning why it ranked it that way to the ability to override it -- but Gen Z wants less of all four than any older group.

Some 60% of consumers said they would rather see ads than pay for an ad-free AI, while 61% said they are comfortable with ads when they are useful, and 64% said they trust AI less when they can’t tell what is being sponsored.

interestingly, being known as a brand no longer means being recommended. About 94% of AI users would consider a brand beyond the one they usually buy if AI recommended it.

It also depends on prior purchase behavior -- not intent -- with 57% saying they have already bought from a brand they had not considered when they started. 

Permission also stops at the checkout button, with 74% saying they are comfortable with AI suggesting options. Some 40% said they are comfortable letting it make the purchase for them.

Financial services at 21% is the market segment that was farthest along when it comes to trust, with one in five home lending buyers starting with AI searches to find the best rates and banks. Checking follows with 17%, and investing at 15%. Fashion and apparel come in last at 7%.