AI search and summaries distrusted by about half of consumers: Gartner

"Consumers often don't rely on AI-powered search and summaries for product research, with 53% saying they don't trust the results, according to a survey published by Gartner Wednesday. Another 2 in 5 consumers say generative AI overviews make the search process more frustrating than traditional search, the survey found. And 3 in 5 want the option to turn off AI summaries, according to Gartner. Brands should consistently publish in-depth, accurate and well-researched content to help consumers research products, and "strengthen their reputation as trusted sources," Noam Dorros, director analyst in the Gartner Marketing practice, said in a news release."

"Generative AI is making the product search experience more conversational, and consumers are starting to use it for recommendations. But consumers say AI summaries are most useful for initial product exploration, and "the perceived usefulness of these summaries declines when evaluating value options, and they drop further when finalizing a purchase," according to Gartner. As a result, consumers are not ready to jettison traditional search, with 62% saying they use it to explore different products and services with no brand in mind, the survey found. When asked the same question about AI summaries and AI-based chatbots, just 37% and 30% of consumers, respectively, said they use them."

""Undercutting the role of SEO is shortsighted. Traditional search methods still hold a dominant position for consumers seeking to truly explore and consider their options," according to Gartner."

Consumers often avoid relying on AI-powered search and summaries for product research; 53% say they do not trust AI-generated results. Two in five consumers find generative AI overviews more frustrating than traditional search, and three in five want the option to turn off AI summaries. Generative AI is increasing conversational recommendations, but its summaries are most useful for initial exploration and lose perceived usefulness when evaluating options or finalizing purchases. Sixty-two percent of consumers use traditional search to explore products with no brand in mind, versus 37% for AI summaries and 30% for AI chatbots. Brands should publish accurate, in-depth content and maintain SEO because large language models gather site information to train AI.

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