Tools for Humanity research: fear, not festivity, is what’s driving Christmas shopping

New research from Sam Altman’s company, Tools for Humanity, shows that most Christmas shoppers are anxious and 73% specifically so about bots grabbing high demand items. 

2,000 Brits were surveyed for this. 56% have reduced or stopped buying expensive items online, and one in five have abandoned a purchase at least twice because something felt suspicious. 

British consumers feel increasingly unsafe online - worried about AI driven scams, fake ads, fraudulent reviews and bots snapping up sought-after items before real shoppers even get a chance. 48% say they’d even pay up to 10% more to buy from platforms that verify both buyers and sellers.

Across recent major shopping moments - including Black Friday - consumers report lived experiences with online deception: 27% believe they’ve encountered fake product reviews; 25% say they’ve seen scam ads promoted on social platforms; 19% discovered fake stores or listings - rising to 24% for those aged 18-24.

Trevor Traina, Chief Business Officer at Tools for Humanity, which is currently building World, an open source global online network designed to be accessed only by humans, says: “Holiday shopping shouldn’t leave you guessing ‘bot or not,’ where the Grinch wears silicon instead of fur. Consumers want fairness, and that starts with knowing who, or what, is on the other side of the transaction. Proof of human verification restores trust without invading privacy.”

According to the survey, only 15% of UK shoppers feel very confident spotting AI generated scams, while 8% say they are not confident at all in identifying AI generated content like fake listings, manipulated images or deepfake product videos.

Younger generations are feeling the added pressure: only 18% of respondents aged 18-24 have no concerns around online shopping scams, compared with 48% of those aged 55+, despite those aged 55+ themselves reporting low confidence in spotting AI manipulated content (57%).

Despite the growing threat, shoppers feel poorly protected. Traditional online safeguards - such as CAPTCHA tests or basic identity checks - no longer inspire confidence, with 12% stating they don’t trust online verification methods at all. 25% place blame directly on retailers, saying platforms fail to verify sellers or prevent anonymous bad actors from operating unchecked. 

73%, meanwhile, are willing to verify themselves if it means safer online shopping. 

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH proudly presents the first edition of its AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by 3D Cloud and EdTech Innovation Hub.

This is now open for entries. Deadline for submissions is Friday, 5th December. It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.

Check out categories and entry forms here.

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 29th January. This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.