AI is already influencing how consumers find products and make decisions. But a new global study from Klaviyo shows something marketers should pay close attention to: consumption is increasing rapidly, while trust is not.
“Klaviyo AI Persona Research,” based on a survey of nearly 8,000 consumers, found that 60% now use AI tools at least weekly. At the same time, only 13% say they completely trust AI.
That gap is where the real sales story resides.
Consumers are clearly incorporating AI into the way they research and evaluate products. But they do so cautiously, treating AI as a substitute for authority.
AI is influencing purchases faster than trust is growing
AI is already affecting real shopping behavior.
The study found that 41% of consumers have purchased a product recommended by AI within the past six months. Another 27% said AI introduced them to a product they researched further before buying.
In other words, AI already serves as a layer of discovery.
More than one in five consumers now turn to AI tools when they want to learn something new, solve a problem or evaluate a purchase. For marketers, that means AI is increasingly serving as the first touch point in the customer journey.
However, reliance on technology is growing much slower than adoption. Consumers are using AI to narrow down choices and gather ideas, but many still want to confirm results before acting on them.
Four AI personalities reveal how consumers balance usability and trust
Klaviyo’s research divides consumers into four demographics based on two factors: how often they use AI and how much they trust it.
AI enthusiasts combine high usability with high reliability. This group represents approximately 26% of consumers worldwide and is already incorporating AI into their everyday decision-making.
Among Consumers, 89% said they used AI when shopping in the past six months. Even more telling, 43% report that they bought more products they didn’t know about before because AI recommended them.
AI testers also use AI regularly but approach it with caution. They are willing to rely on AI for research and comparison, but tend to confirm recommendations before acting.
Together, Enthusiasts and reviewers account for nearly 70% of consumers.
The rest of the population showed more skepticism.
Critics of AI understand and use AI occasionally but remain wary of how it appears in marketing and brand engagement. AI Holdouts, who make up about 21% of consumers, rarely use AI when shopping and often prefer to be guided by a human when making decisions.
The key takeaway is that the divide is not just between AI users and non-users. There are consumers who trust AI, consumers who use it carefully and consumers who remain skeptical.
Big AI users are also quick to criticize products
One of the most revealing findings of the study is that people who are most comfortable using AI are also the most critical of it.
Among AI Enthusiasts, 40% say they notice low-quality or mediocre AI-generated marketing content multiple times a week.
That suggests that ordinary AI users are becoming more adept at recognizing when brands are relying too much on automation. As consumers spend more time interacting with AI tools, they are also better judges of what good results look like.
For marketers experimenting with productive AI in content, customer service or personalization, that shift raises the stakes. Poor execution may be noticed much more quickly by an audience that is more likely to engage with it driven by AI.
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Consumers interact with AI as a conversational partner
The study also highlights how AI is changing search behavior.
Common search queries used to be short and keyword driven. AI commands are becoming longer and more verbose.
Seventy-eight percent of consumers say they include emotional or personal context in their experiences at least some of the time. Thirty percent now use eight or more words when communicating with AI systems.
The trust gap will shape the next phase of AI marketing
The findings point to a simple but important truth.
The use of AI is becoming common, but trust is growing very slowly.
Consumers are free to use AI to explore ideas, compare products and discover new options. Whether they trust the answers they receive depends on the quality and usefulness of the experience.
For marketers, that means evolving in AI-driven environments is part of the challenge.
The most difficult task is gaining the confidence of consumers who are still deciding how much they believe in AI.
The full report can be downloaded here. (Registration required)
