How AI is rewriting the rules of search and shopping - by the numbers

"AI has upended the world of search. Whereas consumers used to start with a keyword search on Google, 68% of shoppers across the world have used AI tools like ChatGPT to shop, according to a report published by creative agency VML. In other words, keywords are being replaced with questions, blurring the lines between search as a performance marketing function and a brand marketing one."

"And that's just the beginning. Looking ahead, the VML report states that 52% of shoppers are excited about having a personal shopping agent. Meanwhile 40% of shoppers are willing to fully delegate online shopping to an AI assistant, per research from Equativ, a media platform. Still, the uncanny valley hasn't arrived quite yet, seemingly leaving marketers to watch how the zero-click reality plays out for publishers before springing into action themselves."

"Generative AI is taking over the discovery phase, thanks to shoppers starting their online search with AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini or AI Mode. But as is with all things AI, changes are moving faster than marketers and their tech stacks can keep up with. No doubt, generative AI has become a permanent fixture in marketers' tool kit. The question is if said tools have advanced enough to close the gap between shopper behavior and marketing infrastructure."

Generative AI is shifting the discovery phase as shoppers start searches with AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI Mode, replacing keyword queries with conversational questions. Global research shows 68% of shoppers have used AI tools to shop, 52% are excited about personal shopping agents and 40% would fully delegate online shopping to an AI assistant. Marketers face measurement gaps, fragmented ad-tech stacks and limited operational readiness while shoppers expect personalized recommendations and faster checkouts. Large language models currently do not interoperate across platforms, which constrains integrated AI shopping experiences. Marketers must modernize measurement and infrastructure to align with evolving shopper behaviors.

Read at Digiday