Marketers are betting heavily on artificial intelligence to shape the future of online shopping, but consumers are far less convinced, according to new research that highlights a widening trust gap in the creator economy.
The study, commissioned by creator agency Billion Dollar Boy and conducted by Censuswide, found that 79 percent of marketers and 77 percent of content creators believe AI delivers high-quality product recommendations. By contrast, only 35 percent of consumers agree.
Four in five marketers and creators also said AI has the potential to enhance the overall online shopping journey. Yet nearly half of consumers surveyed — 49 percent — worry that AI-generated recommendations could reinforce bias, particularly when commercial incentives and paid placements shape results, WARC reported.
More than three in five respondents, 63 percent, said they were uncomfortable with AI using their browsing and purchase history to personalize recommendations.
Billion Dollar Boy said the findings point to “a growing trust gap between how the industry views AI and how consumers actually experience it.”
The tension comes at a pivotal moment for the creator economy, where peer recommendations and influencer-led endorsements have become central to purchasing decisions. AI tools promise brands greater efficiency, lower costs and scalable personalization. But questions remain over how much of the creative and recommendation process can be delegated to algorithms lacking human oversight and nuance.
Technological advances are accelerating. In a recent influencer trends webinar, agency Ogilvy predicted the rise of virtual influencers. Meanwhile, Chinese entrepreneur Luo Yonghao generated $7.6 million in sales during seven hours of livestreaming using digital clones of himself and his co-founder, underscoring how AI-driven personas can drive commercial results.
Despite such successes, consumer unease persists. Analysts say creators’ perceived authenticity and relatability remain powerful differentiators in an environment increasingly saturated with automated content.
“Brands that cultivate a thriving ecosystem of trusted, creator-led recommendations will lead, because that’s exactly what both consumers and AI systems will rely on when deciding what to buy,” Thomas Walters, Billion Dollar Boy’s chief innovation officer, said in a statement. He added that brands “won’t win by producing more content — they’ll win by delivering more credible proof.”
The survey was conducted between June 20 and July 1, 2025, among 4,000 nationally representative consumers aged 16 and over, 1,000 content creators, and 1,000 senior marketing decision-makers in the United Kingdom and the United States.
