March 14, 2026 — A MarTech article published yesterday declares ‘Most consumers use AI, but few fully trust it‘, drawing from new Klaviyo research surveying nearly 8,000 consumers across six countries that shows widespread AI adoption in product discovery alongside a stark trust deficit.
The study finds 60% of consumers use AI tools at least weekly, with 41% having purchased an AI-recommended product in the past six months. However, only 13% completely trust AI for purchase decisions, underscoring a trust gap challenging marketers.
“AI is already influencing how consumers discover products and make decisions. But a new global study from Klaviyo shows something marketers should pay closer attention to: usage is rising quickly, while trust is not.”
Key Findings
Most consumers use AI, but few fully trust it, as 27% of respondents say AI introduced them to products they later researched before buying, and more than one in five now start with AI for learning, problem-solving or evaluating purchases. Consumers are incorporating personal context, with 78% adding emotional or personal details to prompts at least sometimes and 30% using eight or more words in interactions.
Additional data from CMSWire coverage of the same Klaviyo “AI Persona Research” notes trust varies by demographics: men are 60% more likely than women to fully trust AI, and Millennials/Gen Z 75% more than baby boomers.
Consumer Personas
The research segments consumers into four AI personas:
- AI Enthusiasts (26%): 89% used AI while shopping recently; 43% bought multiple unknown products on AI recommendation.
- AI Evaluators: Frequent users but cautious.
- AI Skeptics (10%): Occasional use with wariness.
- AI Holdouts (21%): Prefer human guidance.
Enthusiasts and Evaluators comprise nearly 70% of consumers. Among Enthusiasts, 40% notice low-quality AI-generated content weekly.
“Consumers are clearly incorporating AI into how they research and evaluate products. But they are doing so cautiously, treating AI as an input rather than an authority.”
Implications for Marketers
Most consumers use AI, but few fully trust it, raising stakes for AI in marketing. Klaviyo platform data shows a 1,936% year-over-year surge in AI-referred traffic. Marketers must prioritize quality to build trust, as poor execution alienates heavy users.
“AI isn’t just changing how brands operate, it’s also reshaping how consumers discover and evaluate brands,” said Jamie Domenici, CMO of Klaviyo.
Coverage and Reactions
The findings gained traction quickly, mirrored on ATDb, featured in Marketing Agent’s roundup, and shared on X by Jeff Sheehan. Related MarTech pieces contextualize evolving trust. A YouTube short and Complete AI Training summary echo the stats.
Most consumers use AI, but few fully trust it, positioning AI as a key discovery tool while trust lags, per the fresh Klaviyo insights.