AI-generated answers are now the top starting point for product research among AI-active shoppers

According to Impact.com‘s latest research report, The new front door: How AI is rewriting the buyer’s journey, 47% of AI-active U.S. consumers began their last product search with an AI-generated response: 33% on a standalone AI platform and 14% through an AI Overview in search. By comparison, 26% started with traditional search engine results. Many shoppers still visit brand and retailer sites before making a purchase, but may arrive after AI has shaped the products they consider. When they navigate to a site without using the AI’s embedded link, that earlier influence can be difficult for brands to trace.

The problem: AI shapes the shortlist before brands can see it

A May 2026 survey of 1,128 AI-active U.S. consumers by impact.com reveals a growing disconnect  between how shoppers discover products and how brands track their journeys:

• 47% began their most recent product search with an AI-generated response, including 33% on a standalone AI platform and 14% through an AI Overview in search. By comparison, 26% started with traditional search engine results.
• 72% said they sometimes, usually or always click through from an AI tool to a brand or retailer website before making a final decision. Just 27% had used a direct brand website to research a product in the previous 30 days.
• 5% said they bypass the AI’s embedded link and start a new search manually on a brand or retailer website, potentially making AI’s earlier influence harder to attribute.

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Why shoppers are turning to AI for product discovery

The report points to three main reasons AI is gaining ground as a starting point for product research:

• 52% prefer AI because it provides a direct answer rather than a list of links.
• 46% say AI better understands complex, scenario-based needs.
• 24% use AI to avoid sponsored results and ads.

Consumers are selective about what they would let AI buy

Willingness to hand over a purchase depends on the product. While 69% of AI-active consumers would trust AI to auto-buy in at least one category, 31% would not allow it to do so in any of the categories surveyed.

• Grocery & Household (38%) and Health & Wellness (31%) attract the most auto-buy trust. The figure falls to 16% for both Luxury & High-Value products and Automotive.
• Among those willing to let AI auto-buy, trust extends to an average of 2.44 product categories.

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How behavior varies by generation

The research also reveals generational differences in how consumers use and trust AI throughout the buying journey:

• Research, Gen Z: 54% start their product research with an AI-powered tool, the highest share of any generation.
• Research, Boomers: The largest share go directly to a retailer website (36%), while 28% start with an AI-powered tool.
• Verification: Gen Z shows the widest divide. Some never click through to verify information (11%), while others always do (21%). Millennials are the most likely to use AI to narrow their options and then follow its link to verify on a brand or retailer website. Boomers are the most likely to bypass the embedded link and re-search manually (11%).
• Automated purchasing: 66% of Boomers say they would not trust AI to pick and buy a product without their approval, compared with 19% of Gen Z and 21% of Millennials.

What this means for brands

Cristy Garcia, CMO of impact.com, says AI is reshaping how consumers discover products and creating a growing gap between what influences purchase decisions and what brands can measure. “AI is increasingly shaping what consumers consider buying before they ever engage directly with a brand. Shoppers may arrive at a brand’s website having already been influenced by an AI-generated answer, but that influence doesn’t always show up in the data. Brands need to rethink how they build visibility and trust across the places consumers turn to for recommendations, from AI platforms to publishers, creators and communities. It’s no longer just about being found. It’s about understanding what’s shaping the decision.”

This report is the first in a three-part series examining how AI is changing the consumer buying journey. You can download the full report [here].