Perth, June 24: Most Australians are open to letting artificial intelligence help them shop online, but many still draw the line when it comes to handing over control of their wallets.
New research from Commerce and PayPal found that 63 per cent of Australian online shoppers are interested in trying agentic AI shopping tools — systems that can independently research, compare and recommend products on behalf of consumers.
However, enthusiasm drops sharply at the point of purchase. Just 4 per cent of respondents said they wanted AI assistance during checkout, while 40 per cent said they would not allow an AI shopping tool to make purchases on their behalf at all.
The findings suggest Australians see AI as a useful shopping assistant rather than an autonomous buyer.
The survey of 1,000 Australian online shoppers found that consumers are most interested in using AI during the product research phase, with 34 per cent wanting help comparing options and making informed decisions, and a further 30 per cent wanting assistance finding the right product, retailer or brand.
Cost savings remain a major attraction. When asked how they would like AI to help with future shopping experiences, respondents said they wanted AI to make it easier to find the retailer with the best price (33 per cent), locate promotions and discounts (30 per cent) and alert them when products were available cheaper elsewhere (23 per cent).
The study also found that only one in five Australians currently use AI tools when shopping online. Among those who do, more than half (53 per cent) said AI reduces the time spent searching for products.
Interestingly, Australians who avoid AI shopping tools are not necessarily opposed to the technology. More than half (51 per cent) of non-users said they simply enjoy the process of shopping themselves, while only 18 per cent said they do not support the use of AI tools.
Security and privacy concerns remain significant barriers to adoption.
More than four in 10 respondents cited bank account security breaches as a major concern, while the same proportion worried about AI purchasing products without their approval. Privacy violations and personal data breaches were identified as concerns by 34 per cent of respondents.
Trust also emerged as a key issue. While 45 per cent of Australians expect technology giants such as Google and Apple to release agentic shopping tools first, online payment providers were viewed as the safest option. Thirty-eight per cent said they would trust payment providers such as PayPal to launch a secure and privacy-conscious AI shopping tool, compared with 31 per cent for technology companies and just 14 per cent for AI-focused firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
The research suggests consumers are willing to embrace AI-powered shopping assistance, provided they remain in control of the final purchase decision and can trust the technology to protect their money and personal information.
Media & PR: editor@dailystraits.com. Copyright 2021–Present DailyStraits.com. All rights reserved.