A survey of 2,564 UK consumers I commissioned for CloudNine PR suggests that 78% of them (1,989) now use AI chat tools like ChatGPT. More than half of users agree that AI helps them discover brands they might never have found otherwise. But more than half agree that seeing ads within AI responses would mean they would have less trust in them.
The research explores how conversational AI assistants and search tools are changing how people find products and services online, as well as how much they trust AI recommendations. With Google and OpenAI pressing ahead with the rollout of advertising in conversational AI, and rivals Anthropic and Perplexity standing firmly against it, the survey also examines how the presence of ads could affect consumer trust in AI recommendations.
1. How does AI improve product discovery?
AI is turning into a powerful discovery channel that is helping people find products and services. 52% of consumers who use AI chat tools agree that they make it easier to discover new brands they wouldn’t have found otherwise. And 48% would consider buying from a brand recommended by AI even if they hadn’t heard of it before.
So, AI is exposing people to new products and services and potentially helping lesser-known brands compete more effectively with established brands.
2. Do consumers trust AI recommendations?
The survey suggests there is currently a level of cautious trust in the products and services that are recommended by AI.
41% of consumers who have used AI assistants assume that brands recommended by AI will be a good or reliable option. 40% now trust AI recommendations as much as those they find on traditional search engines such as Google or via Amazon searches.
But 79% would still want to check other sources of information before completely trusting an AI recommendation. Although for smaller purchases (those under £50), 37% said they would consider buying AI recommended products without any additional research.
Most people still want the reassurance of seeing where AI is getting its information. 60% say they’re more likely to trust AI recommendations if they can inspect the supporting articles, reviews and influencer content that underpins them. They are not blindly accepting what AI says.
3. How does AI fit into the discovery journey?
The research suggests that for many consumers, AI might be turning into the starting point of the buying journey.
AI recommendations are rarely viewed in isolation. Only 4% of people who use AI chat tools would consider going straight to making a purchase when the AI recommends an unfamiliar brand.
Instead, consumers are using AI as part of a broader research process that includes search engines, reviews, websites, marketplaces and more. 46% would check on Google or other search engines, 43% would check online reviews, 32% would visit the brand website and 27% would search on Amazon.
AI is operating less as a replacement for search and more as an additional layer in the discovery journey. People may start with AI, but they often continue their research elsewhere before making a decision.
4. Will ads reduce trust in conversational AI assistants?
One big question mark surrounding AI tools is if (and how) they can be successfully monetised through advertising. Will the introduction of ads damage the user experience and reduce trust in AI?
According to the survey, 63% of UK consumers who used AI assistants agree (27% strongly) that if a tool they were using started showing ads, they would likely switch to an alternative that doesn’t. Over half (54%) say they would have less trust in AI recommendations if companies were able to show ads within them.
Some of these numbers back up the findings of a February 2026, US survey by IPSOS in which 63% of consumers either strongly (27%) or somewhat (36%) agreed that ads would reduce trust.
Interestingly, the leading AI companies are taking very different approaches to advertising, falling clearly into pro and anti-advertising camps:
- Google initially introduced ads to its AI mode last year and has recently announced that it is testing new conversational ad formats.
- OpenAI began testing advertising on ChatGPT with a select number of US advertisers in January. It is gradually expanding this pilot to more countries (including the UK) and to more advertisers. Along with launching a self-service ad manager (initially in the US) and improving its measurement tools, the company is introducing cost-per-click (CPC) ads to allow advertisers “to align their spend more directly with the actions people take after seeing an ad”.
- Anthropic has taken a clear stance against introducing ads to its Claude AI assistant, vowing to keep its AI conversations an ad-free zone: “Our users won’t see sponsored links adjacent to their conversations with Claude; nor will Claude’s responses be influenced by advertisers or include third-party product placements our users did not ask for.”
- AI search provider, Perplexity, initially experimented with advertising on its chatbot, but announced earlier this year that it is abandoning ad-based monetisation: “The challenge with ads is that a user would just start doubting everything . . . which is why we don’t see it as a fruitful thing to focus on right now.”
Conclusions
- AI chat/conversational assistants are rapidly becoming a discovery channel that consumers are using to find out about products and services.
- These tools are helping lesser-known brands get noticed – those that people might never have come across otherwise.
- Consumers are beginning to trust AI enough to act on its recommendations, although most still want to see the sources AI tools pull information from. They also want to check alternative channels (search engines, reviews, Amazon) to verify what AI is telling them.
- While the likes of Google and OpenAI are moving ahead with plans to roll out ads (in AI mode and ChatGPT), the research suggests that displaying ads risks undermining consumer trust. These findings support the approach taken by companies such as Anthropic and Perplexity, who stand firmly against showing ads to avoid losing consumer trust.
About the research
CloudNine PR commissioned market research company TLF Research to conduct the survey of 2,564 UK consumers, 1,989 of whom use AI chat tools. The data was collected during April 2026.
Featured image photo by Saradasish Pradhan on Unsplash