Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Consumers in UAE are embracing artificial intelligence as part of their shopping journeys. Eighty-five per cent in the Emirate have used AI tools to assist with shopping, including checking reviews or product ratings (60 per cent), comparing prices (59 per cent), and finding gift ideas (55 per cent), reported WAM.
According to Visa, which released the annual Stay Secure study in the UAE, this trend reflects widespread confidence in the benefits offered by modern technologies, with 93 per cent of respondents believing that new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier than before. Artificial intelligence is also influencing product and brand discovery, with 60 per cent of consumers typically discovering new brands or retailers while shopping online.
However, consumers remain more cautious when it comes to AI handling transactions on their behalf. Today, only 32 per cent would trust AI agents to complete checkout, reinforcing the importance of earning consumer trust in the age of agentic commerce.
As AI adoption grows, consumers increasingly view technology as part of the solution to fraud. Fifty-seven percent feel AI has made scams easier to recognise today and 85 percent believe AI will play a critical role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future.
Shopping through social platforms has become mainstream, with 69 per cent of consumers in the UAE having purchased products directly through social media platforms. As commerce expands across new channels, fraud risks continue to follow consumers online. Forty-six percent (46 percent) have experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. Among those who have experienced a scam, 38 percent report the incident occurred on social media, more than those who encounter scams on other platforms such as websites, online marketplaces, or shopping apps.
The study also highlights growing concern around how children encounter scams online, with 80 per cent of consumers reporting that children in their lives struggle to recognise scams. A significant 67 per cent have seen a child fall victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online.
That concern comes as children gain greater access to digital commerce. Thirty-three per cent of parents in the UAE have children who can access mobile payment apps or digital wallets.
When it comes to protecting against fraud while shopping online, consumers look first to institutions rather than themselves.
