Artificial intelligence (AI) shopping tools are rapidly reshaping how consumers discover and evaluate products. Yet even as adoption accelerates, concerns about reliability and privacy persist. Industry research suggests that retailers, in particular, are lagging — unprepared for what may be the most significant shift in e-commerce since the arrival of mobile.
A recent study from Liquid Web found that many marketers are effectively frozen, anticipating change but unsure how to act. Sprout Social’s Q3 Pulse Survey reinforces this finding: the debate is no longer whether to use AI, but how and when to integrate it.
Meanwhile, consumer attitudes are evolving quickly. Constructor and Shopify’s 2025 State of E-Commerce report shows that 45% of shoppers do not care whether product recommendations come from humans or algorithms — they simply want relevant results. Nearly one in five would even trust an AI agent more than their partner to choose a gift, rising to 25% among Gen Z.
Together, these reports highlight a widening gap between consumer readiness and retailer hesitation. As Amanda Valle, global director of organic search and marketing at Liquid Web, explained, many businesses remain stuck in a “wait-and-see” mode because they assume AI requires major reinvention.
“There’s a widespread misconception that AI optimization requires a massive overhaul or budget. But in reality, just making product content machine-readable is a significant first step,” she told the E-Commerce Times.
Inaction Leaves Money Behind
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Liquid Web’s research, based on 500 retail business owners, revealed that 65% of businesses take no steps to prepare for the innovations in AI shopping tools. Some of the most immediate and tangible risks they face as consumer behavior shifts toward AI-driven discovery are potential drops in organic traffic, search visibility, and sales.
“The biggest risk is your product or brand quickly becoming invisible in the digital aisle. Brands must optimize as AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s SGE begin surfacing products conversationally,” Valle warned.
Sixty-one percent of business owners worry that competitors are moving faster with AI adoption. Valle offered three practical, actionable steps businesses should take to begin optimizing their product pages for AI discovery without a significant investment:
- Update product pages regularly. Freshness drives AI visibility.
- Put the most crucial information at the top. AI is lazy — it will not read your whole page.
- Do not ignore meta descriptions.
“They’re your AI honeypot, fueling answers and acting as mini-snippets that tell large language models (LLMs) exactly what the page is about,” she said.
Go Beyond Technical Readiness
The role of content strategy is changing in the age of AI-powered shopping tools. Businesses must adapt their product descriptions and supporting content to be more AI-friendly and conversational.
“In the AI era, product content needs to speak to humans and machines. As a result, it’s important to ditch jargon, write like a compelling salesperson, and layer in context — such as use cases, FAQs, comparisons, and listicles — that AI can pull into recommendations. The last two types of content are AI’s favorite,” Valle offered.
She also urged retailers to adjust their long-term strategies. The goal is not just to react to the current shift but to proactively leverage AI as a competitive advantage for product discovery and customer engagement.
“Right now, it’s critical to treat AI as a visibility accelerator. Long term, businesses should build an AI-first product discovery strategy by combining structured data, conversational content, and fast-loading infrastructure,” she explained.
This shift helps brands maintain visibility in AI-driven product suggestions, she added.
Make Human-Generated Content Sell
Sprout Social’s latest survey confirmed that human-generated content builds trust. A solid 55% of 2,000 social media users said they are more likely to trust brands that are committed to human-generated content versus content made by AI. This preference is even stronger among Millennials (62%) and those who identify as liberals (61%).
The research shows transparency is a top ethical concern — and non-negotiable.
More than half of consumers (52%) are most concerned about brands posting AI-generated content without disclosing it, ranking transparency alongside data mishandling as top ethical concerns.
According to researchers, this shows that audiences are not necessarily opposed to AI-generated content. However, they demand honesty from the brands they follow.
The shift in advertising to influencers’ roles on social media is a key factor. Trust is a priceless commodity that every brand must build to compete in a market where consumers have seemingly endless purchasing options, noted Sprout Social CMO Scott Morris.
“Our research makes it clear that influencers are not only viable but necessary partners to tap into consumer trust, especially among younger generations. Brands that put influencers at the core of their overall strategies, on and off social, will reap the benefits as the influencer economy grows in tandem with consumer trust,” he told the E-Commerce Times.
Avoid Using GenAI in Isolation
Morris warned marketers about treating generative AI as a stand-alone tool. Instead, they should use it as a collaborator.
“A human-in-the-loop approach where people review, refine, and approve AI-generated content is key to avoiding ethical pitfalls,” he cautioned.
He added that it ensures every outcome aligns with brand values, remains authentic and accurate, and ultimately protects brand reputation and audience trust.
Morris also said that platform diversification is essential. Having one cohesive brand voice is critical to ensuring messaging resonates and sticks with audiences, regardless of the channel or format.
“When people know what a brand stands for, they are more likely to build a meaningful connection. This approach allows brands to adapt their messaging to cultural moments while preserving their core identity to maintain trust and relevance,” he added.
Search and Discovery Rewrite Retail Playbooks
Product search is being redefined. For instance, 25% of people now turn to social platforms and AI for answers. Nearly half of Gen Z shoppers begin product discovery on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
This shift is fueling the rise of Social SEO (SOSEO), with more than four out of five marketing leaders reallocating budgets from traditional SEO to social tactics. These specialists are rapidly becoming one of the most in-demand roles, according to Layla Revis, VP of social, content, and brand marketing at Sprout Social.
“To succeed, brands must optimize content for discoverability on the platforms where consumers seek authentic reviews — such as TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube — by using keyword-rich titles, searchable captions, and alternative text,” she told the E-Commerce Times.
She added that winning strategies also include leaning into short-form video, building genuine creator partnerships, and harnessing social listening and AI to uncover where audiences are and what they discuss.
“For instance, social listening can reveal which subreddits consumers frequent, enabling timely, meaningful engagement that builds trust and shows up in social search,” Revis said.
The brands that thrive in this new era will pair authenticity with visibility by blending cultural relevance, trend insights, and platform algorithms to stay discoverable and competitive, she predicted.
