By Todd Latham, CEO at Attest
For agile brands, the fusion of agile methodologies with artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a game-changer. By embedding AI into their agile frameworks, brands can respond in real time to shifting consumer needs, optimize their marketing strategies, and drive innovation across all channels.
Attest’s recently released Consumer Adoption of AI Report provides compelling insight into how AI is reshaping consumer behavior. The challenge and opportunity lie in harnessing this data-driven transformation to create more personalized, efficient, and engaging customer experiences.
The AI momentum
The report highlights a dramatic shift in consumer engagement with AI-powered tools. Nearly 47% of consumers now say they are likely to use generative AI (Gen AI) tools to research purchases, and 54% are open to interacting with AI assistants or chatbots during their shopping journey. Additionally, trust in the information provided by AI tools is growing: 43% of consumers say they trust it (up from 40% last year). These figures illustrate that AI is becoming a core component of the modern consumer experience – as well as part of everyday life.
More than half of respondents are already using ChatGPT, while 30% have tried Google Gemini. The top use case is answering questions or explaining complex topics (42%), and younger consumers are increasingly replacing regular search engines with AI-powered tools. Nearly a third of under 40s in the US use AI at least half of the time they do an internet search.
Even more telling is that 40% of Gen AI users consider AI-generated search results more trustworthy than those from traditional search engines. This, combined with the fact that 60% of current Gen AI users predict their use of such tools to increase over the next six months, reinforces the notion that AI adoption is set to accelerate.
AI and agile: a natural synergy
Agile brands thrive on rapid testing, real-time learning, and iterative improvement. AI delivers on all these fronts by enabling brands to generate – and sift through – enormous amounts of data to uncover actionable insights. With consumers increasingly likely to engage with AI tools, brands now have an unprecedented opportunity to tap into consumer data and refine their strategies on the fly.
For instance, agile methodologies rely heavily on short cycles of testing and iteration. By integrating AI analytics, brands can rapidly assess which marketing tactics resonate best with different audience segments. Our data indicates that 29% of consumers see AI as a tool for better personalization (up from 26% last year), while 35% believe it can make advertising more creative (up from 33%). This data empowers agile marketers to experiment with hyper-personalized campaigns that adjust in real time based on consumer response.
Beyond marketing, data from AI interactions can also fuel research and development. What conversations are customers having with your chatbot? How are they expressing their wants and needs, and what opportunities do these present? Just over 32% of consumers believe that brands using AI will lead to greater product innovation (up from 30%).
Enhancing customer engagement through AI
One of the standout benefits of AI – and one that aligns perfectly with the agile mindset – is hyper-personalization. With AI’s ability to analyze complex data sets in real time (from browsing behavior, social signals, and even sentiment data), brands can craft marketing messages that are tailored to individual consumer preferences. This level of precision enables brands to deliver dynamic content and personalized offers that truly resonate with customers.
AI also has the power to enhance customer support. The report shows that 54% of consumers are willing to use AI-driven chatbots for customer service, and 47% believe AI has the power to speed up customer support. By handling routine inquiries efficiently, these systems free up human agents to engage in more complex, relationship-building conversations.
Additionally, AI can improve operational efficiency across the board. By integrating AI into supply chain management, inventory control, and demand forecasting, brands can not only reduce operational costs but also ensure that customer expectations for availability and timely delivery are met consistently. Consumers are optimistic about this: 32% believe the use of AI could translate into cost savings passed on to the shopper.
Balancing technology with the human touch
One key theme our report reveals is the potential that AI has in the hands of agile brands: 31% of consumers believe AI can significantly improve the customer experience. This figure has increased from 27% a year ago, showing that positive sentiment is growing as consumers encounter AI in their shopping journeys.
But while the potential of AI is exciting, brands must also confront challenges to ensure successful integration. Trust is a critical factor. Although 43% of consumers trust AI-generated information, a lesser 33% trust companies with the data they collect through AI tools. Transparency about how data is collected, processed, and used is essential. Agile brands need to establish robust data security measures and clearly communicate their practices to build and maintain consumer confidence.
Another significant concern among consumers is the potential loss of the human touch: 59% of respondents cite this as a major disadvantage of brands relying on AI. The challenge is to implement AI solutions in a way that augments rather than replaces human interaction. Agile brands that adopt a hybrid approach – combining the speed and efficiency of AI with the empathy and creativity of human interaction – will be best positioned to thrive.
