- About 70% of online shoppers in India plan to use AI to verify products and sellers
- The survey gathered over 75,000 responses from shoppers across 332 districts in India
- Finding the right product is the top challenge for 69% of online shoppers surveyed
About seven in 10 online shoppers in India plan to use artificial intelligence in the next year to verify products and sellers, a nationwide survey shows. They also want AI to provide personalised recommendations based on their tastes and needs.
The survey was conducted by LocalCircles, a civic engagement platform, across 332 districts and received over 75,000 responses from online shoppers. Of the respondents, around 44 per cent were from tier 1 cities, 32 per cent from tier 2, and 24 per cent from tier 3, 4, 5, and rural districts.
Shoppers identified finding the right product or service as the most time-consuming task, with 69 per cent reporting it as their main difficulty. Around half of respondents also said they struggle to find the best combination of price, delivery time, and return policy. Other common issues include verifying seller credentials, cited by 43 per cent, and checking if reviews and ratings are authentic, reported by 40 per cent of respondents.
About 68 per cent said they wanted to use AI to check the authenticity of products and sellers, while 64 per cent said they would use it to discover products or get personalised recommendations.
Around 56 per cent want to compare products and prices, another 56 per cent said they would use AI to verify reviews and ratings, 46 per cent want AI to resolve doubts faster, 36 per cent to track price trends or discounts, and 22 per cent to create shopping lists or plan purchases.
About half of respondents said they prefer to use AI directly on e-commerce apps or websites, rather than on external AI platforms like ChatGPT, Grok, Meta, or Gemini.
Shoppers also have several concerns. About 73 per cent worry about the safety of their data, 69 per cent are concerned about how AI evaluates products and sellers, and 61 per cent fear AI may suggest biased or sponsored products.
Even after the government issued rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, consumers remain cautious about using AI for online shopping, the survey showed. The Act regulates how personal data is collected, used, and shared, gives individuals rights over their data, and sets penalties for misuse.
