Most shoppers use AI to shop, but few let it pay for them

Most people now use AI while shopping, but very few let it pay. A new survey from fraud prevention company Riskified found that 80% of shoppers have used AI at some point in the shopping process. Only 11% have completed a purchase inside an AI tool.

What the survey found

Riskified surveyed 5,100 consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico and Brazil in September 2026. Half said they were more comfortable than six months earlier with an AI agent completing a purchase without immediate approval. An AI agent is a tool that can take actions for you, such as choosing and buying items. The share who would not trust any company with AI-led shopping fell from 47% to 17%.

Comfort has limits

Only 7% said they were comfortable letting AI buy without their approval. Still, 74% would allow AI-led purchases in some form, and 68% said they were likely to use AI for holiday shopping. People want control over how much freedom the AI gets.

• 43% want to approve every purchase.
• 29% would let an AI agent buy automatically within rules they set, with approval for exceptions or notices afterward.
• 68% always want to know when they are dealing with an AI agent instead of a human.

Who people trust, and who pays

One-third of respondents would trust a general AI platform such as ChatGPT or Gemini to manage a shopping agent. Only 17% would trust a retailer they already use. Just 9% would trust a bank, credit card company or digital wallet.

On mistakes, 51% said the AI platform should issue refunds when an agent buys the wrong thing. That is not settled. The survey notes that some platforms' terms place responsibility on users.

What it means for businesses

"Consumers are getting comfortable delegating shopping to AI, but they haven't delegated the blame," said Jeff Otto, Riskified's chief marketing officer. He warned that disputes over mistaken purchases could open new chances for refund fraud. Retailers will need to tell real AI-assisted orders from fraud and malicious automation as agentic commerce, where AI agents shop on a buyer's behalf, grows.

What to do

Before letting an AI tool buy for you, take a few steps:

• Set spending limits.
• Ask for approval on each purchase.
• Read the terms to see who pays if the AI makes a mistake.