March 14, 2026 — A Klaviyo study of nearly 8,000 global consumers, reported by MarTech on March 13, shows most consumers use AI for product discovery and purchases, but a gap in trust creates challenges for marketers. The research highlights rapid AI adoption outpacing trust, with 60% using AI tools weekly and 41% buying AI-recommended products in the past six months, yet only 13% fully trusting AI.
The study identifies four consumer personas: AI Enthusiasts (26%, high usage and relative trust), AI Evaluators (cautious users), AI Skeptics, and AI Holdouts (21%). Enthusiasts and Evaluators comprise nearly 70% of consumers, with 89% of Enthusiasts using AI while shopping recently and 43% purchasing multiple unknown products via AI.
“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.”
Marketer Challenges
Marketers face pressure to optimize for AI-driven discovery amid low trust. Heavy AI users quickly spot poor content, with 40% of Enthusiasts noticing low-quality AI-generated marketing weekly. The trust gap demands high-quality, personalized experiences, as consumers verify AI outputs before acting.
“The key takeaway is that the divide is not simply between AI users and non-users. It is between consumers who trust AI, consumers who use it cautiously and consumers who remain skeptical.”
Most consumers use AI for product discovery and purchases, but a gap in trust creates challenges for marketers, echoing X discussions sharing the MarTech article, including posts by @jeffsheehan and @Optimisable.
Related Research
A February MarTech report contrasts this, finding 57% trust brands more using AI and 73% purchased based on recommendations, though 34% cite privacy concerns. A January MarTech piece predicts AI reshaping 2026 search, with 60% of queries clickless.
Marketing Dive covers brand tools like Meta’s AI agents for sales guidance. Other sources note 41% using AI for discovery per PYMNTS and 64% reliance per OpenTools.ai.
Most consumers use AI for product discovery and purchases, but a gap in trust creates challenges for marketers, a trend amplified across platforms. For more insights, see related SEO analysis.