One-third of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers expect to use AI, but few would let it make a purchase

More than a third (34%) of likely U.S. Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers say they are likely to use AI to help navigate this year’s sales, according to a new YouGov report. But comfort with the technology falls sharply when it moves from finding deals to completing purchases.

The bots and the basket: AI’s role in Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026 examines how Americans plan to shop this sales season and where they are willing to use AI along the way.

In YouGov’s 2025 survey, 16% of likely Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers said they were likely to use AI to navigate major sales events. The question wording differed between years, with the 2026 survey asking specifically about Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Key findings among likely U.S. Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers include:

• Comfort with AI centers on research and price comparisons. Some 43% would feel comfortable using AI to find the best price, 37% to track price changes and 34% to compare similar products or offers. Just 9% would be comfortable letting it add items to their basket, 5% with allowing it to complete a purchase after approval and 4% with purchases made without asking first.
• Retailer websites inspire greater confidence than AI. Eight in ten (80%) are confident that checking retailer websites or apps themselves would help them find the best deal, compared with 48% for AI tools. Confidence in AI is higher among shoppers who have previously used it for shopping, at 83%.
• Most who used AI during last year’s sales expect to continue. Among those who used standalone AI tools to navigate last year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, 92% expect to use them as much or more this year, including 46% who expect to increase their use.
• ChatGPT and Google Gemini lead tool preferences. Each is selected by 29% as an AI tool they would be likely to use when shopping during major sales events, followed by Microsoft Copilot at 14%.
• Finding the best deal is the most common shopping challenge. Some 42% find this difficult, followed closely by deciding whether to buy now or wait (41%). Other challenges include determining whether discounts are genuine (35%), keeping track of offers (34%) and comparing prices across retailers (34%).
• Experienced AI shoppers still have concerns about accuracy and bias. Among those who have previously used AI for shopping, 56% say inaccurate or outdated information would concern them when using it during the sales, while 51% cite concerns about biased or sponsored recommendations.

“Shoppers see a role for AI in sorting through offers and comparing prices, but they still want control over what they buy,” said Mark Fantino, senior vice president at YouGov. “For retailers, the immediate opportunity is to make product information and pricing accurate, accessible and easy to compare. Building confidence will also mean helping shoppers understand why a product is recommended and whether that recommendation is sponsored.”

Overall, 36% of U.S. adults say they are likely to shop during Black Friday or Cyber Monday. That rises to 47% among Gen Z and Millennials, compared with 27% among Gen X and Baby Boomers+.

When surveyed in summer 2026, 39% of likely shoppers expected to spend about the same as last year, while 17% expected to spend less and 15% more. Another 28% were unsure. Expected average spend is $393.

Read the full report here.

Methodology

The research was conducted online through YouGov Surveys: Serviced between July 13 and August 11, 2026. The U.S. sample comprised 1,495 adults aged 18 and older, with figures weighted to be nationally representative. Likely Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers are respondents who said they were somewhat or very likely to make purchases during either event.

The 2025 comparison comes from a survey conducted August 8–18, 2025. Its AI-use question referred to “mega sales events,” while the 2026 question referred specifically to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Spending-change figures exclude respondents who selected “Not applicable.” Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.