Will shoppers ever trust AI to be true personal assistants? That’s a pertinent question raised by Reflect Digital’s recently launched quarterly Searchpulse report.
AI usership has skyrocketed over the last few years, with more than a billion people now using AI chatbots on a regular basis. However, according to Reflect Digital’s recent UK data, taken from a sample of 2,000 people, this surge in usership isn’t necessarily translating into blind trust, particularly among younger demographics.
Gen Z emerges as biggest AI fact-checker
The data identifies Gen Z as the biggest AI fact-checkers, with 45% actively clicking links to verify data.
But while Gen Z presented the highest rate of fact-checking, across all generations, there was AI hesitancy regarding online shopping experiences. Almost half of the population reported being uncomfortable with an AI tool completing their online checkout. Here, those expressing hesitancy attributed this to security and accuracy concerns.
Commenting on the findings, Becky Simms, founder and CEO of Reflect Digital, said that for some, AI is a “starting point” that actively demands further human validation. Simms added that, for older generations, AI currently lacks the foundational trust required to even begin the research process, noting that this is why landing pages increasingly act as a verification layer.
“Consumers need E-E-A-T signals which include named experts, original data and clear evidence that validates what they’ve already seen,” said Simms.
At the same time, the report showed a shift in the platforms different demographics use for search. Among Gen Z, the report noted that YouTube was used by nearly 60% of those aged 18 to 24-year-olds, followed by Instagram (51%) and TikTok (50%), with Google usage dropping 15% between 2025 and 2026.
Agentic commerce and AI mistrust
This undercurrent of mistrust around agentic commerce is echoed in other research.
Earlier this year, Commerce and PayPal research, conducted by Logica Research, found that, while interested in testing the tools, 64% of UK consumers were hesitant to give the AI full autonomy over their purchasing decisions. Meanwhile, Mintel found that in the US, over two-thirds of consumers held security concerns around agents making online purchases.
However, some research is more optimistic about usership. Last month, Juniper Research shared forecasts that, by 2031, agentic commerce users could grow to 1.3bn, although here, a lack of infrastructure to support local payments could hold back growth, it said.
The affiliate conversation
What does this mean for affiliate?
As the ecosystem develops, there are both opportunities and risks accompanying the rise of agentic commerce. Some internal industry research has found that affiliate publishers account for the large majority of the sources ChatGPT references for product information. Here, in the absence of a click, affiliate publishers could still surface, and with certain demographics showing propensity for link verification, attribution is still possible. In tandem, the industry is building out its clickless attribution and monetisation capabilities.
However, in the interim, there is uncertainty. Already, industry data has pointed to negative impacts on traffic and earnings from AI search alone. Part of the challenge ahead is whether the industry can keep pace with the rapid evolution of AI.
