Many consumers would bin AI shopping agents after just one mistake, ACI Worldwide research finds
New research from payments technology firm ACI Worldwide reveals a significant trust gap between artificial intelligence and human decision-makers, highlighting a key barrier to the widespread adoption of AI shopping agents.
A YouGov survey of more than 2,000 UK adults found that just 19% of consumers trust AI assistants to follow rules to set up make every day purchasing decisions, compared with 55% who trust a human expert or adviser. 69% do not trust AI, even when it follows rules they set, while 60% would stop using an AI agent after just one mistake.
“The findings clearly show that consumers are open to AI helping them shop smarter, but only if they remain firmly in control of both the decision‑making and their money,” says Adriana Iordan, head of merchant and payments intelligence at ACI Worldwide. “They’re telling us very clearly that they won’t hand control of their finances to an autonomous agent without safeguards. This isn’t a capability gap; it’s a trust and confidence gap. If the industry wants adoption, it must prioritise control over capability: explicit approvals, hard spending limits, protected payment details and clear accountability when things go wrong.”
Other key findings include:
54% believe AI companies should be responsible for refunds when AI gets a purchase wrong.
Only 9% say retailers should be held responsible.
Just 3% blame banks or card issuers.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
