Australian consumers are increasingly leaning on AI to guide them on their purchasing and shopping choices, according to new research from Zip.
The survey, which questioned 1,323 Australian Zip customers, found that 36 per cent had used AI to assist them with their shopping decisions in the past 3 months. 85 per cent of those people had used that tool within the past month.
79 per cent of shoppers using AI use it for research and learning about products, while 66 per cent use it to compare choices before purchase.
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77 per cent said that AI has some or a lot of influence over their decisions, but 88 per cent said they want full control over final purchasing choices. Only 37 percent are comfortable with AI completing a purchase autonomously, while 92 per cent are happy with the technology just comparing options.
60 per cent said that the technology helped confirm recent purchase decisions, while 46 per cent it improved decision time. 39 per cent even said it made them consider new products or brands.
In terms of more general AI use, 81 per cent of respondents had used an AI tool in the past 3 months, while 77 per cent of those users say they use the tools at least once a week.
"With AI becoming part of everyday life, our customers are clearly open to using it to help them make smarter shopping decisions," said Zip Chief Executive Officer, ANZ, Soraya Alali.
"Our research shows AI is already helping customers navigate choice, compare options and make purchasing decisions with greater confidence," she added.
"At Zip, we believe trust and transparency are important as AI becomes more integrated in everyday shopping experiences," she added.
"Customers are embracing AI to help them shop, but they are also sending a clear message: they want to feel informed and in control."
Trust is still the main issue holding back customer use of AI. While the tools are becoming more common and accessible in the retail space, for payments and search, businesses need to not question whether the systems will be used, but how far they will use them.
Data suggests that just because a user wants to use AI to assist in shopping, it doesn’t mean it wants AI making the final decision.
AI bias and security concerns
These concerns are not unfounded. It is entirely possible that AI models could be trained to recommend specific products depending on agreements between AI giants and businesses. AI assistants on retail shopping pages may also recommend products based on profit margins rather than customer suitability, or favour specific brands and companies.
Customers should also be weary about what details they share with an AI, and should avoid entering payment information, intimate or sensitive information relating to their needs and the product, and other purchase details if it can be avoided, as this could create security concerns if the AI is to train on the conversation.
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Daniel Croft
Born in the heart of Western Sydney, Daniel Croft is a passionate journalist with an understanding for and experience writing in the technology space. Having studied at Macquarie University, he joined Momentum Media in 2022, writing across a number of publications including Australian Aviation, Cyber Security Connect and Defence Connect. Outside of writing, Daniel has a keen interest in music, and spends his time playing in bands around Sydney.