New research from Rithum shows younger consumers in UK and US are increasingly comfortable making purchasing decisions based solely on AI recommendations, highlighting a major shift in trust across the online shopping journey.
Rithum, a leading global commerce operations platform, has released new research highlighting a generational shift in online shopping behaviour.
The survey of 1,046 online shoppers across the UK and US finds that 64% of 18-to-27-year-olds have made a purchase based on an AI recommendation without verifying the information through other channels.
The findings suggest that for a growing share of younger consumers, who are among the earliest adopters and most prolific users of AI, these AI tools are both supporting product discovery and increasingly influencing final purchase decisions.
Traditional verification behaviours are playing a limited role in the process, with 95% of shoppers admitting they don’t check information LLMs provide against a brand website.
AI is also accelerating the pace of decision-making. Over a third (36%) of shoppers say they make faster purchasing decisions when using AI tools.
When shoppers do choose to verify AI-generated recommendations, they are more likely to turn to search engines (28%), friends and family (17%), or their own prior experience (17%) than to brand or retailer websites. This reinforces the importance of maintaining accurate and consistent product information across the wider commerce ecosystem.
“AI is reshaping how younger shoppers discover and evaluate products, and Gen Z’s digital-native instincts mean they’re less likely to question what AI tells them. As these behaviors spread across generations, the stakes for brands and retailers rise sharply. When AI becomes the storefront, the product data feeding it isn’t just a technical input—it’s the brand experience,” said Sam Griffin, VP, Strategy and Engagement, Rithum.
Rithum’s research highlights that for many shoppers, particularly younger ones, AI is becoming an increasingly influential input in the purchase journey.
Rithum also discovered that of shoppers using AI:
- 36% use it always or often to discover new brands and products
- 43% say they compare more options
- 34% feel more confident in their purchasing decisions
The findings are based on a survey of 1,046 online shoppers in the US and UK conducted by Rithum and Studio’s Retail Dive. Respondents were evenly distributed across age groups, including 18–27 (25%), 28–43 (26%), 44–59 (25%), and 60 or older (24%).
