AI rivals search engines as go-to tool for online shopping in Europe
BERLIN (dpa)More than half of artificial intelligence users turn to AI when shopping online before a search engine, according to a market research study released on Wednesday.Some 3% of those surveyed by market research institute Norstat said they always prefer using AI tools over search engines when shopping online.Another 14% said they mostly use AI, while 35% percent do so sometimes.A total of 7,282 people aged between 18 and 60 from Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland took part in the survey in June.People turn to AI most frequently for online travel purchases, in 33% of cases. This is followed by 22% for consumer electronics, 20% for DIY products and hobby supplies, and 19% for software or digital subscriptions.The proportion of AI use is comparatively low for fashion and clothing purchases, accounting for just 13%, while it is used in 12% of cosmetics purchases and 7% of real estate purchases.People in Germany use AI far less for shopping than those in other European countries. However, they are ahead when it comes to its professional use, with half of all respondents saying they use AI tools daily or several times a week for work.Among AI tools, OpenAI's ChatGPT is way ahead of the competition, regularly used by 86% of AI users. In comparison, 26% said they regularly use Google's Gemini and 20% often use Microsoft Copilot.
The study found that the Chinese AI bot DeepSeek, which is the subject of heated debate among AI experts and data protectionists, is not regularly used by European consumers.
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