Survey finds AI tools drive 64% to buy new brands

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of AI users have bought from a brand they'd never heard of until an AI tool mentioned it, according to new research.

The findings emerged in a survey of 2,000 Americans who have used an AI tool or assistant for a personal task in the last three months, according to the data by We are Talker.

Seven in 10 (70%) said they have discovered a brand, product or service for the first time because an AI tool recommended or mentioned it. Of those, the majority (91%) went on to buy or use something from one of those brands.

That results in nearly two-thirds of all AI users (64%) having made a purchase from a brand AI first put on their radar, rising to 83% of Gen Z.

Those recommendations also stick. Two-thirds (66%) feel confident that they remember the brands AI recommends to them well afterwards.

Half (51%) would consider a brand they'd never heard of if AI strongly recommended it over one they already knew, rising to 64% for millennials. The results also suggest AI enters the buying journey early.

Asked when they first used AI during their most recent AI-assisted purchase, respondents most commonly said "learning about the topic" (19%), ahead of researching specific options (17%) and getting ideas or inspiration (16%).

Tim Haslam, CEO of We Are Talker, said: "AI isn't just helping people find information. It's starting to shape decisions and it's doing that earlier than many brands recognize.

People are turning to it while they're very much still learning about a topic and working out their options. That means AI can influence which brands make the cut before someone has even visited a website, read a review or even formed a shortlist.”

AI can just as easily de-influence or take a brand off the list. More than two-thirds (68%) said something they learned through AI caused them to rule out a brand or product they were considering, including 87% of Gen Z

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And more than two in five (44%) said information or a recommendation from AI had changed a decision they were originally planning to make, including 59% of Gen Z and 57% of millennials, compared with 25% of boomers.

Among those whose decisions changed, shopping and retail purchases topped the list (27%), followed by food and restaurant choices (24%), health and wellness decisions (24%) and financial choices (22%).

The effects can really show up at the checkout too. Because of AI, 18% said they spent less than they'd planned, and a similar number (17%) switched from one brand or product to another, while 14% decided not to buy anything at all. Meanwhile, 13% said they spent more, a figure that rises to 20% among Gen Z, compared with just 4% of boomers.

When AI does make a specific recommendation, most shoppers seem to end up going with it. Among those who had received one, 81% followed the recommended option at least in part.

Some took it outright (29%), while others partly followed it (24%). Three in 10 researched it further before choosing it anyway (28%) and just 6% ignored it entirely.

AI now sits alongside long-established influences on what people buy. Among respondents open to using AI in purchase decisions, 73% rated AI recommendations as very or somewhat influential. That's close behind friends and family (76%) and customer reviews (78%), and ahead of social media influencers (63%) and Reddit or online forums (60%).

When asked how often AI had played a role in their purchasing decisions in the last three months, 21% of AI users said every day, rising to nearly a third of millennials (32%) and 27% of Gen Z.

Nearly half of AI users (48%) turn to it several times a week or more when deciding what to buy, rising to almost two-thirds of Gen Z and millennial users (64% each). Just 17% said AI had played no part in their purchasing in the past three months.

The results form part of We are Talker's 'Consideration, Trust, Choice' report examining how AI is impacting consumer decisions.

Tim Haslam, CEO of We Are Talker, added: "AI can introduce a brand someone has never heard of, move another out of consideration and influence which one gets chosen.

"That makes the challenge for businesses very different. It's no longer enough simply to be visible. You need enough credible, independent evidence for AI to understand why your brand deserves to be considered and recommended. Brands that build that authority can win customers they may never previously have reached. The ones that don't may never even know they were excluded from the decision."

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans who have used an AI tool or assistant for a personal/non-work related purpose within the last three months who also have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by We are Talker and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Sept. 21–30, 2026. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research Process and Methodology page.