The news: Consumers trust AI as much as they do experts and friends and are increasingly using AI tools for shopping, democratizing a discovery layer for smaller brands.

• 20% of global consumers say they “completely trust” AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI, per Boston Consulting Group. That’s equal to expert advice and just above the 19% who trust recommendations from friends and family.
• 31% have used AI in a purchase journey in the past year, up from 10% in 2025.
• 70% of AI loyalists, or those who use AI at least half of the time for all purchase occasions, end up making purchases based on its recommendations.

What it means: AI is a discovery layer for consumers, surfacing an opportunity and a risk for brands.

• Smaller businesses can gain a shortcut to consideration as AI introduces consumers to products they might never have found through a direct search or online marketplace inquiry.
• Incumbent companies could lose visibility inside AI answers to a lesser-known competitor before a shopper considers a familiar brand name.

The fact that many consumers’ trust in AI is on par with advice from experts shows that they are willing to outsource judgment to AI. That raises stakes around getting recommended if AI can build credibility that brands could previously only pursue through reviews, ad placements, expert testimonies, and word of mouth.

Implications for brands: AI is able to legitimize small competitors’ value as purchase decisions are made, and it’s gaining trust to shape decisions. This could improve audience outreach if challenger businesses can gain credibility without major marketing dollars. Boutique brands should offer AI systems accurate product information to avoid confusing consumers or giving them false expectations.

Since AI systems prioritize depth and veracity of the content they scrape over the size of the business that produces it, larger brands can work to stay relevant by offering a wealth of product information and customer testimonies online.

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