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AI Agents Can Complete Purchases, So Why Aren't People Trusting Them? Survey Reveals Major Reason.
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News18•30-09-2026, 11:08
AI Agents Can Complete Purchases, So Why Aren't People Trusting Them? Survey Reveals Major Reason.
- •A new survey indicates 53% of people would never allow an AI assistant to make purchases on their behalf, with only 7% willing to let an agent buy without explicit approval.
- •An Accenture survey found 74% trusted a personal AI agent more than a friend for purchases, but only 9% were ready for fully autonomous shopping.
- •Dan Coates of ACI Worldwide states it's a trust issue; people want AI to assist with discovery but prefer to make the final purchase decision themselves.
- •Frameworks like Mastercard's Agent Pay and Visa's Intelligent Commerce are working to establish rules to increase transparency and security in agent-driven shopping.
- •Building trust will take time, as some early negative experiences, like Muse sharing a user's address on Facebook Marketplace, have eroded confidence.
Key Questions Answered
According to a survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of ACI Worldwide among over 3,000 adults in the US and UK, 53% of respondents explicitly stated they would never allow an AI assistant to make purchases on their behalf.
Frameworks like Mastercard's Agent Pay and Visa's Intelligent Commerce are being developed to establish rules for how agents, consumers, merchants, and banks operate, thereby increasing security and transparency.
An early trust concern was highlighted when a YouTuber reported that Meta's Muse shared their address on Facebook Marketplace and arranged a pickup without their knowledge, though Meta claims the agent always seeks approval.
