Most people in Germany do not want artificial intelligence to do their shopping, with only 9% able to imagine using a shopping agent that analyses their purchasing behaviour and automatically reorders necessary groceries or toiletries.
The aversion to AI shoppers was revealed in a representative YouGov survey commissioned by dpa and published on Saturday.
According to the survey, 40% would "definitely not" let AI shop for them, 28% "probably not," and 19% maybe. A further 4% of respondents did not provide an answer.
The polling institute YouGov surveyed 2,037 people aged 18 and over in Germany from July 11 to 14.
So far, the major German retail chains do not offer a fully autonomous shopping agent that orders automatically.
However, AI is already being used in other areas in various ways. In the apps of supermarket chain Rewe & Co, customers receive personalized product suggestions and offers based on their previous shopping behaviour.
Some retailers, like Amazon, automatically deliver certain products such as detergent at an adjustable delivery interval.
In the United States, the retail giant is testing the "Buy for Me" function. If an item is unavailable, the AI automatically orders from an external brand website.
The AI assistant Sparky of the US supermarket chain Walmart helps customers find items and will soon also be able to place orders automatically.
The Dutch retailer Albert Heijn uses an assistant with generative AI in its app, which recommends recipes based on the ingredients customers upload via photo.
