Wednesday, 24 June 2026

More than half (52%)¹ of UK consumers who use AI tools like ChatGPT say the technology makes it easier to discover new brands they would never have found otherwise. But nearly eight in ten (79%)¹ say they would still want to check other sources before trusting an AI recommendation, according to new research.

The survey of 2,564 UK consumers found that 78% (1,989 respondents) use AI chat tools such as ChatGPT. Among these AI users, 48%² would consider buying from a brand recommended by AI even if they had never heard of the brand before. However, while trust in AI is growing, the research suggests consumers are far from ready to blindly accept AI-driven brand and product recommendations.

If AI recommends an unfamiliar brand, only 4% of AI users would consider purchasing it immediately without carrying out further research.

Instead, 46% would search for the recommended brand on Google or another search engine, 43% would check online reviews, 32% would visit the brand's website and 27% would search on Amazon. A further 10% would check mentions in online publications and 9% would look for social media mentions.

Most people also want the reassurance of viewing the original sources/citations that AI assistants use to generate their answers. 60%¹ of AI chat tool users agree they’re more likely to trust AI recommendations if they are supported by information from multiple sources, including articles, reviews and influencer content.

Uday Radia, owner of technology PR company, CloudNine PR, which commissioned the research, said:

“AI tools like ChatGPT are rapidly becoming a product discovery channel and they’re helping lesser-known brands get noticed – companies that people might never have come across otherwise.

"Importantly, however, while AI helps you get discovered, it’s not enough to drive conversions on its own. If a consumer doesn’t like what they see about you in Google, independent review sites and earned media, they’re unlikely to become customers."

As OpenAI expands its ChatGPT ads pilot to the UK, the research also explores how consumers are likely to react to seeing ads regularly appearing within AI answers.

54%¹ of AI tool users questioned in the survey would trust AI recommendations less if they see advertising from companies in AI answers. 63%¹ would switch AI tool if they start seeing ads.

OpenAI told Reuters earlier this year that its advertising pilot showed there was “no impact on consumer trust metrics” and demand from advertisers was high. The company’s recently announced partnership with adtech firm LiveRamp is intended to help advertisers better track the impact of ChatGPT ads on purchases.

Google is also expanding ad offerings in its AI-powered search experiences. After introducing ads to its AI-mode last year, it is now testing new ad formats to help people discover products.

On the other hand, rival AI company, Anthropic, stands firmly against advertising, believing that making money from ads would create incentives that would work against its core principle of ensuring its Claude AI assistant remains “genuinely helpful”.

Visit the CloudNine PR blog post for a detailed overview of the survey data: https://www.cloudninepr.com/chatgpt-ai-brand-discovery-trust...

CloudNine PR is a freelance technology PR agency, delivering high-impact public relations and content campaigns to help technology companies raise their profiles. Clients include martech, retail tech and adtech companies. www.cloudninepr.com.
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About the research
CloudNine PR commissioned a survey of 2,564 UK consumers through market research company TLF Research. 1,989 of the survey sample had used AI chat tools like ChatGPT. These AI users were asked about their attitudes to using AI for product discovery and to ads appearing in AI answers. The data was collected during April 2026.

Notes to editors
¹ Survey respondents were asked how strongly they agreed with a set of statements. Here the percentage who “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree” are combined
² Survey respondents were asked how likely they would be to consider buying from a brand recommended by an AI tool even if they had not heard of the brand before. Here the percentage who said, “very likely” and “somewhat likely” are combined.

Media Contact:
Uday Radia, CloudNine PR, uradia@cloudninepr.com ,+44 (0) 7940 584161