More than half of Australians are already turning to generative AI tools to help with online shopping, according to ecommerce marketing platform Omnisend.

A national survey of 1,027 consumers, conducted in July, found that 55% use AI assistants such as ChatGPT for tasks ranging from product research (34%) and personalised recommendations (27%) to finding gift ideas (20%).

Interestingly, 40% of shoppers prefer ChatGPT over traditional search engines, with 27% saying it outperforms Google when it comes to product research.

Respondents said they value the streamlined, ad-free answers compared to the clutter of search results.

More than a quarter (27%) also reported that generative AI makes shopping feel less overwhelming.

But despite rising adoption, the study revealed significant hesitation around AI taking control of the checkout process.

While consumers are open to using AI for guidance, 84% expressed concerns about its use in ecommerce, citing privacy and data security (43%), AI misinterpreting preferences (37%), irrelevant recommendations (35%) and overuse of AI in retail (26%).

Notably, nearly a third (32%) said they would not trust AI to make purchases on their behalf.

“Openness to AI is clearly on the rise, and businesses can no longer ignore it,” said Marty Bauer, ecommerce expert at Omnisend. “But there’s a big difference between offering helpful suggestions and giving someone access to your wallet. As trust issues remain, ecommerce brands must be crystal clear about where, why, and how they use AI.”

The findings come as global retail heavyweights including Amazon, Walmart and Mastercard explore AI-driven shopping assistants and automated checkout features. OpenAI is also reported to be testing in-chat purchase tools within ChatGPT.

Bauer advised retailers to keep transparency and consumer control front of mind when deploying AI: “Trust is earned. The more shoppers understand and control how AI is used, the more likely they’ll embrace it.”

The survey was conducted by Cint in July 2025 with quotas to ensure a nationally representative sample of Australian consumers.