93 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds already use AI for online product research. Among older generations, this is less common. Globally, Dutch consumers are not leaders in the use of AI for product research. Consultancy firm Roland Berger concludes this and more based on research.

 

Economic uncertainty, declining trust in institutions, and the rise of artificial intelligence are changing the way people discover, evaluate, and buy products. The new Roland Berger study, 'The Consumer Playbook Is Changing,' shows that consumer behavior is undergoing a fundamental shift. For the study, a total of 6.000 consumers in nine countries were surveyed between February and March 2026.

In the research Factors influencing consumer behavior have been examined. One of these is artificial intelligence, whose influence now extends far beyond search. On average, 70 percent of 18- to 64-year-olds regularly use AI for product research; among 18- to 24-year-olds, this figure is already 93 percent. AI is thus evolving from a research tool into a guiding authority at the forefront of the purchasing process: it filters options, compares products, and generates recommendations.

Let AI make purchases

Only 21 percent also allow AI to complete purchases independently. That share will grow rapidly as agentic shopping tools mature and ease of use increases, Ronald Berger expects. In some categories, the consumer may not even make the final choice themselves.

However, the adoption of AI is anything but uniform. The UAE (98 percent), Brazil (94 percent), and Mexico (88 percent) are leading the way, with both high acceptance and a distinctly positive sentiment (60 to 70 percent). The United States, France, and the Netherlands are lagging behind with an acceptance of around 70 percent and a positive sentiment of only 30 to 40 percent.

Generation gap

The adoption of AI also shows a generation gap: 93 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds use AI for product research, while among those over 65, this drops to about 43 percent. This is best viewed as a matter of timing: as cohorts get older, total penetration increases.

Among 18- to 24-year-olds, all markets are close together, with adoption between 80 and 100 percent. Geographic differences only become apparent among older consumers. Among 35- to 49-year-olds, the UAE (98 percent) and Brazil (96 percent) maintain virtually universal adoption, while France and the Netherlands both fall back to 75 percent. Among those over 65, Brazil (80 percent) and Mexico (70 percent) maintain significantly higher adoption than Germany (42 percent), the US (43 percent), and the Netherlands (37 percent). Roland Berger concludes: in emerging markets, AI use is common across all age groups, whereas in Western markets it remains concentrated among the younger cohorts. It is therefore expected that adoption will increase as cohorts get older, but likely at a slower pace than in markets where AI use is already more widespread.

Furthermore, the level of adoption also depends on markets. That adoption is three times higher in categories with high involvement, where decisions are more difficult, prices are higher, and a wrong choice costs more. Electronics (21 percent), jewelry and watches (19 percent), and beauty and skincare (17 percent) are leading the way in AI-assisted search.

Advices

Roland Berger advocates building a machine-readable brand presence through structured product data and credible review ecosystems. Companies must also prepare for a world in which AI agents select and complete purchases with little or even no human intervention.

The study is based on an international survey of 6.000 consumers in nine countries: in Europe (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands), North and Latin America (US, Brazil, Mexico), and the Middle East (United Arab Emirates). The research period ran from late February to late March 2026.

(Roland Berger)

Customer Experience, Research