Gen Z shoppers now trust ChatGPT more than Google Search when researching what to buy, with new research showing almost a third rank OpenAI’s chatbot as their most trusted source for product research, compared with just 12% for Google.

The findings, from payments company Spreedly, land as Google pushes its Gemini AI into its Chrome browser in a bid to hold onto search users, and as Australian data shows ChatGPT already reaching more than twice as many Australians as Gemini.

The shift strikes at the heart of Google’s business. Its highly profitable search advertising model was built on people typing keywords into a box, being served links and ads, and clicking through. AI assistants change that behaviour from “find me some websites” to “give me the answer”.

Spreedly CEO Justin Benson said younger consumers were now using AI in a part of the shopping journey historically dominated by “search engines, retailers and brands”.

Google Still Leads Overall

Google has not been abandoned. Across all age groups it remains the most trusted source for product research at 25%, ahead of friends and family at 22%.

But the study points to a further risk for brands. Some 63% of consumers said they would, or might, let an AI shopping assistant choose brands on their behalf if it consistently saved them 20% on purchases, suggesting AI could erode traditional brand loyalty as shoppers prioritise price and recommendations.

The research indicates consumers are handing product discovery and comparison to AI faster than they are prepared to give up control of checkout.

The survey of 2,000 adults was conducted online by Talker Research for Spreedly between 3 and 8 September 2026.

Australians Embrace AI

In Australia, Roy Morgan data shows 13.6 million Australians, or 58% of those aged 14 and over, use AI tools in an average four weeks.

ChatGPT alone reaches 10.5 million Australians, or 45% of the population aged 14+, compared with five million for Google’s Gemini.

Use is highest among younger Australians. Some 74% of 25 to 34 year olds use AI tools and 62% use ChatGPT. Among 18 to 24 year olds the figures are 68% and 58%, among 14 to 17 year olds 66% and 59%, and among 35 to 49 year olds 72% and 59%.

YouGov research found 72% of Australians use AI for search or discovery in some form, although only 16% regard it as their primary starting point. However, almost six in ten Australian Gen Z consumers start at least one new search each day with an AI assistant, compared with just 14% of Baby Boomers.

Shopping The Danger Zone

Shopping is where the threat to Google is sharpest. Consumers are increasingly asking AI high commercial intent questions such as “What’s the best 65 inch TV under $2,000?”, “Should I buy a Samsung, LG OLED or Chinese brand TV?” or “Find me a robot vacuum for a house with two dogs”.

These are precisely the queries Google has historically monetised most effectively.

Attentive’s 2026 retail research found 83% of Gen Z consumers and 81% of Millennials had used AI for a shopping task in the previous three months. Among Gen Z AI shoppers, 75% said they had used a chatbot for at least half the products they shopped for online.

Adobe found traffic from generative AI services to retail sites jumped 4,700% year on year by July 2025.