New research shows AI is shaping what shoppers rule out as well as what they discover, with 62% of US users also rejecting products on its advice alone
- 62% of US AI-assisted shoppers ruled out at least one product based on AI’s advice without checking elsewhere.
- AI introduced 81% of US AI-assisted shoppers to products and services they were unfamiliar with.
- Seven in ten AI-assisted purchases went to a brand the buyer already recognized, while just 24% went to a completely unfamiliar brand.
More than six in ten US consumers who used AI during a first-time purchase rejected at least one product on its advice without checking another source, according to new research from consumer insights platform Attest. Some 62% ruled out a product this way, compared with 51% in the UK.
The findings from Attest’s 2027 Consumer trends report suggest AI is becoming a shopping gatekeeper: introducing consumers to unfamiliar products and services, while also influencing which options shoppers dismiss, potentially shaping the shortlist before they reach a retailer's website or store.
Four in five US consumers who used AI during a purchase (81%) say it introduced them to products and services they were unfamiliar with, compared with 75% in the UK.
For retailers and brands, this creates an opportunity to reach shoppers who may otherwise never have considered their products. But the same conversations can also give consumers reasons to reject an option.
With more than six in ten US AI-assisted shoppers ruling products out without another check, an assistant's assessment can carry weight beyond the initial search.
Despite AI's ability to introduce unfamiliar products, brand recognition remains important. Seven in ten US AI-assisted purchases (73%) went to a brand the buyer already recognized, including 41% that went to a brand they had bought before. Just 24% went to a completely unfamiliar brand.
The findings suggest that appearing in an AI answer is becoming a new form of visibility, but visibility alone does not guarantee conversion. Brands need both the ability to appear in AI-led discovery and the familiarity and credibility that can give consumers confidence to choose them.
Some 48% of US consumers who used AI during a purchase believe its product advice is usually or always impartial.
65% of shoppers who think AI advice is usually or always impartial ruled a product out without checking, against 47% of those who think it rarely is.
The 18-percentage-point gap suggests shoppers' confidence in AI advice is linked to how much they verify its recommendations. The findings measure consumers' perceptions, rather than whether the advice itself is impartial.
"A retailer can lose a potential sale before a shopper ever reaches its website. More than six in ten US shoppers using AI during a purchase ruled a product out without checking another source.
"AI is opening up discovery, but it is also narrowing choices. Brands need to understand what consumers are being told about their products, including the reasons an assistant gives for rejecting them. Getting introduced is valuable only if your product stays under consideration."
Todd Latham, CEO of Attest
The full report can be viewed by visiting 2027 Consumer trends report | Attest
Image credit: Attest 2027 Consumer trends report
ENDS
Notes to editors
Findings are drawn from a nationally-representative survey of 4,000 consumers - 2,000 in the US (18–66) and 2,000 in the UK (18–64) — conducted on Attest’s platform in September 2026. 3,252 described a real first-time purchase; an AI assistant played a part in 1,189 of them. Figures about AI-assisted purchases are based on 549 US cases. Significance is tested at 95%. The three brand-purchase percentages do not total 100% because some respondents said the purchase did not have a brand.
About Attest
Attest is the AI consumer insights engine used by global B2C brands, including Netflix, Unilever, Nestlé, Reddit and ASOS, to understand their audiences faster and with more confidence. The platform combines quantitative surveys (Attest Measure) with AI-moderated qualitative interviews (Attest Explore), plus AI co-pilot Compass, which builds surveys, analyses results and turns data into shareable insights, all in one connected tool.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in London and New York, Attest gives brands access to 150+ million consumers in 59 countries. Attest has raised over $100 million in venture capital from investors including Episode 1, Schroders and NEA. Data quality is independently verified: Attest is a signatory of the Global Data Quality (GDQ) Data Quality Excellence Pledge.
To find out more, or to run research like this yourselves, visit www.askattest.com.
