Almost one in five Italians uses AI to inform their purchasing decisions, with nearly one in ten considering it their primary source of information

What if, instead of beginning their purchasing journey with a Google search, your next customer asked an artificial intelligence system for help? This is not science fiction; it is already a reality. The data from the study on how artificial intelligence is changing the consumer journey, presented by Eumetra at the ASSIRM Market Research Forum, illustrates the rapid transformation in the way people discover brands and products, evaluate alternatives, and decide what to buy.

Conducted in collaboration with MediaWorld (MediaMarkt/Saturn), the study provides an up-to-date perspective on the purchasing process, which is being transformed by AI at every stage, from gathering information to making a choice to completing a purchase.

The data shows that the debate and reasoning about AI among companies and professionals is not reflected in consumers’ attitudes. Consumers ‘use’ AI, but question it much less: while 12% deal with it professionally, 23% ‘read and learn a lot’ about it and 33% frequently come across news about it, the remaining 29% rarely hear about it and 3% know nothing about it. Compared to the previous study (2023), however, there has been a slight increase in the number of people actively seeking information about artificial intelligence.

The impact of AI on the consumer journey

20% of respondents use AI to gather information when making a purchase decision, and 9% say it is the first source they consult. One in ten Italians uses AI platforms at the start of the journey that leads to a purchase.

Product comparison: in order to better understand the extent to which AI intervenes in the consumer journey, and at what stage, the research simulated the purchase of two different product categories: a smartphone and a wall-mounted air conditioner ‘installed for the first time’.  Interestingly, when consumers are interested in a familiar product, such as a smartphone, only 10% of the sample use AI platforms to compare technical specifications. However, when considering the purchase of a less common product, such as a wall-mounted air conditioner installed for the first time, this figure rises to 14%.

Price evaluation: when comparing prices rather than technical features, search engines are the ‘companion’ that consumers turn to most often (27% for smartphones and 29% for wall-mounted air conditioners).

Choice on purchase point: in the final stage of the purchasing process, 16% of consumers use AI to decide where to buy a smartphone, and 14% use it to decide where to buy a wall-mounted air conditioner.

The most used platforms

Although the AI market is becoming increasingly crowded, it is dominated by a few major players who have earned the trust of consumers. ChatGPT is the market leader, with 64% of users opting for it. It is followed by Gemini (47%), Microsoft Copilot (20%), Perplexity (7%), Grok (6%), Atlas OpenAI (6%), Claude (4%) and Llama (3%). The choice of platform also varies by generation. ChatGPT usage is highest among young people (18–34 years old) at 84%, dropping to 52% in the 35–54 age group and 25% among 55–64-year-olds.

Which applications do Italians trust AI with?

A comparison of the level of trust in 2023 shows greater caution in entrusting important decisions to AI. For example, trust in the composition of an insurance policy falls from 45% to 35%, and trust in an initial medical diagnosis from 34% to 29%.

However, approval for suggesting who to vote for has increased from 17% to 21%, reaching 41% among 25–34-year-olds. This should be understood in its social context: voters find it difficult to interpret the debate between parties and believe that an AI model can suggest the proposal that best aligns with their views.

In terms of purchasing behaviour, a significant proportion of the population (21%, or one in five) would even consider using an AI agent to make purchases directly with their credit card.

From the answer to the question: changing the way we interact

One of the most innovative findings is therefore related to the evolution of human-AI communication and how requests are formulated. The survey found that users were moving from ‘Google-style’ prompts, which were short and generic, to contextual prompts, which were much more detailed and results-oriented.

“AI is a central lever of our innovation strategy,” says Alfredo Pennella, Head of the Data & Customer Intelligence Department at MediaWorld. “We not only sell products based on artificial intelligence, but we also develop solutions that improve the customer experience and tools that support our employees. This is partly thanks to a proprietary platform that ensures the generative use of AI in a secure and compliant environment.” Currently, most sales still take place offline, but we recognise that most journeys begin online, and this proportion will increase among younger generations. In this area, we are already seeing the first online sales coming from AI platforms, albeit in small numbers, but these are growing rapidly. The challenge lies in overseeing this channel too, collaborating with the main players and managing the data that feeds these searches responsibly.”

The research carried out by Eumetra in collaboration with MediaWorld offers a detailed snapshot of a profound change already underway. AI is not an emerging phenomenon, but rather a stable component of the new consumer journey. Its applications are becoming commonplace not only in the purchase of durable goods and electronics, but also clothing and specific foods. Currently, one in five people use AI platforms at some point in the consumer journey. As users become more experienced, its presence in the decision-making process will grow, with significant implications for brands, retailers, and marketing and communication strategies.

“Artificial intelligence is becoming a real new player in the market, capable of influencing the entire purchasing process. It is no longer just a supporting tool; it is involved in the initial stages of gathering information, accompanies the process of making comparisons, and increasingly guides the final decision,” says Matteo Lucchi, CEO of Eumetra. ‘This transformation affects not only technology, but also people’s behaviour, as they learn to ask better questions and use AI as a rational ally in decision-making. Companies must ensure they are present in the results generated by AI, because that is where an increasing amount of competition will take place.”