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Everybody’s talking about getting ChatGPT to recommend their brand.

Cool.

But here’s the part nobody wants to talk about: AI can kill the sale too.

A 2026 consumer study published by Semrush found that 57.5% of AI users have decided NOT to buy something because of information provided by an AI chatbot.

Your customer can be sitting there, credit card practically in hand, then ask ChatGPT:

“Is this product actually worth buying?”

And AI goes:

“Wellllll…”

Sale gone.

Welcome to ecommerce in 2026.

AI Is Becoming Part of the Buying Journey

Semrush’s Exploding Topics team surveyed 2,338 U.S. adults in July 2026 to understand how consumers are using AI during product research.

Nearly one in five consumers said they’d choose an AI chatbot if they could only use one product-research tool.

Among AI users, 65.01% said AI chatbots have at least partially replaced Google searches for product research.

Almost 47.54% of all consumers surveyed said they sometimes use AI chatbots to get information about a company or seller before buying. Among AI users, that jumps to 65.42%.

Your customer is basically running a background check on your brand.

And your sales team ain’t in the room.

AI Is Already Making People BUY

41% of all consumers surveyed said they’ve purchased something based explicitly on an AI chatbot recommendation.

Among people who use AI at least occasionally, that rises to 57.51%.

And among heavy AI users, more than 80% of consumers who use AI multiple times per week have purchased an AI-recommended product at least once.

So yes, getting recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and other AI platforms can absolutely influence revenue.

This isn’t theoretical AEO/GEO marketing fluff anymore.

Consumers are actually buying.

AI Can Kill the Sale Just as Easily

Here’s the number I’d put on the office wall:

57.5% of AI users have decided against buying something because of information provided by an AI chatbot.

Among consumers who specifically use AI as part of their online purchase process, Semrush found the number was even higher: 80.93%.

Across all consumers surveyed, 74.15% said they’d be at least somewhat less likely to buy if an AI chatbot highlighted mixed or negative reviews. Among existing AI users? 85.31%.

Your product might have killer Meta ads, great Amazon PPC, a beautiful Shopify store, influencers pumping it and strong Google rankings.

But before purchasing, the shopper asks an AI:

“Any problems with this brand?”

AI summarizes negative Reddit threads, reviews, complaints and other available sources.

Suddenly your $200 CPA funnel has a new final boss.

ChatGPT.

AI Is Becoming the New Product Discovery Layer

The research also found 59.27% of AI users have discovered a brand or product through an AI chatbot that they didn’t previously know existed.

Historically, ecommerce discovery has been dominated by Google, Amazon, Meta, TikTok, YouTube, influencers and marketplaces.

Now there’s another layer sitting between the consumer and all those sources: AI.

A consumer can ask:

“I run 30km a week, I’m 90kg, mostly pavement, occasionally trails, and my knees hurt. Give me five shoes under $180 and explain the differences.”

That’s a completely different discovery experience.

The AI isn’t just finding pages. It’s synthesizing a recommendation.

That’s why AEO/GEO matters.

Your Brand Has an AI Reputation Whether You Manage It or Not

You already think about Google rankings, Amazon reviews, Trustpilot, Reddit, TikTok, PR and brand search.

Now all those signals can potentially become ingredients in an AI-generated answer.

Ask:

What does ChatGPT say about our brand?

What does Gemini say?

Claude?

Perplexity?

What happens when somebody asks:

“Is BRAND trustworthy?”

“What are the biggest complaints?”

“BRAND vs COMPETITOR?”

“What do Reddit users say?”

“What’s a cheaper alternative?”

Those are your new SERPs.

Except you don’t control the ten blue links anymore.

The AI summarizes the answer.

This Is Why Original Content Matters More

Brands are going to respond to AEO the same way they responded to SEO: by producing mountains of AI-generated bullshit.

Please don’t.

If every brand publishes “Top 10 Benefits of Vitamin D,” you’re not creating information. You’re recycling it.

Instead, publish things AI systems actually have a reason to reference: original data, tests, expert commentary, product comparisons, customer research, case studies, unique images, technical documentation, transparent pricing, FAQs and real-world examples.

Your goal isn’t simply:

“Put our keyword on the page.”

It’s:

“Become one of the best sources available for answering questions about this topic.”

Big difference.

Reviews Just Became Even More Important

If 74.15% of consumers become less likely to buy when an AI chatbot surfaces mixed or negative reviews, reputation management isn’t just a marketplace problem anymore.

A complaint on Reddit.

A two-star product review.

A comparison article.

A YouTube review.

A Trustpilot discussion.

Individually, they might not destroy your brand. But AI can aggregate those signals and summarize the pattern for a shopper in seconds.

Brands should monitor not only “What are customers saying?” but also “How is AI summarizing what customers are saying?”

What About Ads Inside AI Chatbots?

The same study found 71.63% of AI users feel neutral or negative toward ads inside AI chatbots.

That doesn’t mean AI ads won’t work. They almost certainly will work for some advertisers, queries and products.

But it does mean paid visibility isn’t a substitute for organic AI reputation.

Just like Google.

Ranking organically and buying Google Ads are different strategies.

What Ecommerce Brands Should Do Right Now

Open the major AI platforms and ask the questions your customers would ask.

Not:

“Tell me about BRAND.”

Ask:

“Should I buy BRAND?”

“What are the biggest problems?”

“BRAND vs our biggest competitor.”

“What are the best products in our category?”

“Which brands should I avoid?”

Record the answers.

Record the sources.

Then figure out where you’re missing, where AI is getting outdated information, which competitors are constantly mentioned, which sources influence those answers and what questions expose your weakest reputation signals.

That’s your AEO/GEO roadmap.

AI Shopping & AEO FAQ

Do consumers use AI chatbots for shopping research?

Yes. Semrush’s 2026 U.S. survey found significant usage for product discovery, seller research and purchase decisions.

Can AI chatbots influence purchases?

Yes. 41% of all surveyed consumers said they’d purchased something based on an AI recommendation, rising to 57.51% among AI users.

Can AI make consumers decide NOT to buy?

Yes. 57.5% of AI users surveyed said they’d decided against a purchase because of information from an AI chatbot.

Do AI users still use Google?

Yes. The research doesn’t show Google disappearing. However, 65.01% of AI users said chatbots have at least partially replaced product-related Google searches.

Why are reviews important for AEO?

AI systems can surface and summarize review sentiment during product research.

What should brands optimize for?

Brands should make accurate, useful information easy to find across their own websites and reputable third-party sources while monitoring how major AI systems describe their products, reputation and competitors.

The eCom Hot Sauce Take

SEO used to be about whether customers could find you.

AEO/GEO adds another question:

What does AI say about you once they do?

AI isn’t only sending traffic. It’s increasingly sitting inside the decision process.

It can introduce your brand.

Compare your product.

Summarize your reviews.

Recommend you.

Or quietly murder the sale while you’re sitting there wondering why conversion dropped.

The brands that figure this out early won’t just optimize to be found by AI.

They’ll optimize to be trusted by AI.

🔥Join eCom Hot Sauce newsletter if you want to get such hot news and tips before the other eCom peeps!