The news: Fifty-four percent of US adults plan to use AI for some holiday shopping, and 53% said it has helped them during shopping, per a Talker Research survey commissioned by Auros.

However, 53% don’t trust that products in AI-generated advertisements are described accurately, and 36% think those products are lower quality. Forty-four percent go out of their way to shop with brands that aren’t using AI in their marketing.

The bigger picture: Shoppers think AI is useful when it works on their behalf, but that trust doesn’t carry over to AI-generated advertising. That could be driven by authenticity questions—only 44% of US consumers feel confident identifying AI-generated product images.

The tension shows how brands can benefit from AI-driven commerce opportunities without making shopping experiences feel less trustworthy. Good creative needs to optimize for product trust—giving consumers confidence in what they’re buying by including real-life photos or highlighting reviews, which could also reduce returns and support brand loyalty.

Recommendations for brands: The rise of AI shopping tools opens fresh opportunities for conversions and awareness. That’s especially helpful for smaller brands, as AI assistants surface information based on relevancy rather than who has the biggest name.

However, as more brands integrate AI into their marketing efforts, they can stand out by using creative that makes products feel verified and real.

• Integrate human-led product demos and genuine customer testimony within site and social content to add authenticity.
• Build FAQ pages and easy routes to customer service to answer queries on-site, reducing the chance that consumers leave to vet information and not return.
• Scrutinize AI content in marketing materials by ensuring photos and descriptions are accurate and that messaging aligns with brand identity—hallucinations or an inconsistent voice could raise red flags.

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