AI-powered mobile apps are rapidly shaping the digital economy, driving consumer engagement and spending. However, as this trend accelerates, stronger trust in e-commerce platforms is essential to sustaining growth.
According to the State of Mobile 2025 report by Sensor Tower, consumer spending on in-app purchases and subscriptions hit $150 billion globally in 2024, marking an increase of 13% year over year (YoY).
The provider’s report on mobile data and the digital economy also revealed that consumers remain deeply connected to their smartphones. Shoppers worldwide spent 4.2 trillion hours on mobile devices last year, while new app downloads decreased slightly to 136 billion.
However, AI chatbot innovation is emerging as a defining trend this year. A surge of interest in generative AI saw consumers spend nearly $1.1 billion on apps such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Doubao.
Their popularity grew at a rate that could catapult the subgenre into the top 10 by consumer spending within a year. Consumers downloaded apps mentioning AI 17 billion times, emphasizing the growing appetite among consumers for AI features at their fingertips.
“Apps continue to capture consumer attention, particularly in non-games. As consumers spend more time on mobile, they are becoming far more comfortable making purchases on their devices,” said Oliver Yeh, CEO and co-founder of Sensor Tower.
Essential Strategy Shifts for App Monetization
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Industry reports suggest that marketers must adjust their app monetization strategies to capitalize on this increased attention and find innovative ways to streamline and improve consumers’ digital experiences.
According to Jonathan Briskman, Sensor Tower’s principal market insights manager, shopping apps that mention AI play a significant role in marketing and consumer interest.
“It reflects an opportunity for these apps to capitalize on the surge in interest in AI, both in terms of improving organic discovery and boosting engagement with AI features in the app itself,” he told the E-Commerce Times.
He added that AI-related search terms are very competitive, particularly among productivity, utilities, photo, and video apps. Shopping apps that mention AI are more likely to market new features rather than attempt to rank high in search results for these terms.
“Shopping apps can also improve their App Store Optimization (ASO) by including more shopping-focused terms like ‘AI Stylist,’” he said.
AI hype is one thing. Delivering on AI’s promise to improve the mobile shopping landscape can be a challenge.
Briskman agreed that consumer interest in AI is still incredibly high across mobile. However, there is potential for consumers to develop a sense of AI weariness.
He suggested that in 2023, marketers rushed to release AI features to capture the huge AI buzz. However, in 2024 and 2025, consumers became more discerning about using AI features.
“App developers that have been patient and integrated creative AI features that help improve their existing user experience have tended to do better,” he said.
AI Use Cases Vary in Shopping Apps
Briskman pointed to several brands successfully integrating AI to enhance the shopping experience.
Luxury retailer Ralph Lauren uses AI to deliver personalized shopping and product recommendations. India-based eyewear company Lenskart employs AI-powered face analysis to help users find the right eyeglasses for their face shape.
Karma, a shopping browser with a built-in AI assistant, identifies products featured in social media posts. Briskman also noted that AI is widely used in authentication apps like Legit and Poizon, highlighting its role beyond shopping assistance.
“We’re still in the early stages of AI in mobile shopping. So, we’ll be monitoring any new AI use cases. It’ll be interesting to see if conversational shopping with AI chatbots integrated into the shopping experience becomes more popular with features like Amazon’s Rufus,” Briskman noted.
Consumers Demand Trust First, Convenience Second
The internet was built on convenience. But consumers now demand trust first, noted Raj Ananthanpillai, CEO of Trua. He sees trust as the next frontier for digital platforms.
“Consumers are fed up with vague policies and hidden security risks. They want transparency, control, and real protection. Companies that fail to deliver won’t just lose credibility. They’ll lose users, fast,” he warned.
Trua is a pioneer in reusable, verified digital trust credentials. In February, it released a consumer survey advising that online platforms must prioritize stronger security, data transparency, and identity verification or risk losing consumers.
The survey revealed that trust and safety are crucial in shaping consumer purchasing decisions and platform adoption. It gathered insights from 2,000 adult Americans on their attitudes toward trust, safety, and transparency when using various digital platforms, including rideshare services like Uber and Lyft and home service apps such as TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, Rover, HomeAdvisor, and Care.com.
The study also examined job search platforms like Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster, and ZipRecruiter; accommodation services such as Airbnb and Vrbo; dating apps including Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, OkCupid, and Match; and financial platforms like PayPal, Venmo, Credit Karma, and SoFi, reinforcing the survey’s findings.
Trust and Transparency: Digital Marketplace Deal Breakers
A significant majority (86%) of respondents said an online platform’s reputation for safety and security is important to their decision to use it. When finding and hiring a service provider through online platforms, “pricing and transparency” and “trust and safety measures” ranked first and second out of 10 criteria.
Also, 60% of respondents indicated they are willing to pay extra for enhanced background checks that shield them from fraud, criminal activities, and AI-generated accounts and bots. Additionally, 58% were more likely to endorse platforms with conspicuous safety and security policies, emphasizing the growing importance of trust in the digital economy.
According to the Trua report, consumers have low confidence in platform vetting and feel that data transparency falls short. Financial and identity concerns also ranked high on their list of digital concerns. Those worries included fraud and related scams, payment security issues, and data breaches of the service platforms they use.
Concerns over bot performance are significant. For example, 75% of consumers are concerned about bots masquerading as humans on online platforms.
Compelling Bottom Line
Today’s consumers expect more than just functionality. They demand a secure and accountable online experience.
Trua’s Ananthanpillai advised that this survey serves as a crucial wake-up call for companies to reevaluate their strategies. To meet the heightened expectations of today’s consumers, companies must place trust and transparency at the core of their operations.
“The message from consumers is unmistakable: trust, safety, and transparency now outweigh convenience in importance,” he said. “Businesses that fail to evolve in response to these shifting priorities face a significant risk of losing consumer confidence and, ultimately, their competitive edge.”
