One-third of consumers would buy directly through ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms rather than click through to a retailer’s website, according to data from Kantar

The data also highlighted that one in four consumers asked AI for product recommendations.

Kantar reported that 15 per cent of the general public claimed that if AI didn’t suggest a brand when prompted, they would assume the brand wasn’t the right fit for them.

It showed that UK consumers were split into four main camps when it came to AI, with two in five ready to go “all in”. The other camps were Growth Ready (19 per cent), Anxious Experimenter (27 per cent) and Indifferent Avoider (13 per cent).

Kantar brand consultant Steve Dell said: “People’s attitudes towards artificial intelligence are incredibly nuanced and consumer businesses planning their next steps need to dig into the detail to make sure their AI strategy doesn’t fall wide of the mark.

“There are broad demographic trends, but things get a lot more interesting when you look at mindsets. The lines around age and gender were very blurred within the groups we identified, so teams should avoid superficial or lazy assumptions.

“16% of indifferent avoiders are Gen Z, for example, while almost a fifth of the all in group are 55 or older, including 9% who are Baby Boomers.”

According to the consultancy, men were 8 per cent more likely to use AI in general and were 25 per cent more likely to use it for shopping than women.

The data also showed that consumers were most likely to use AI for travel and tourism purchases, with 43 per cent currently using it to find out more about what’s on offer.

Additionally, around 41 per cent of consumers thought that brands recommended by generative AI paid to be there.

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