Are LLMs the new influencers? A new study shows just how personal AI is for many people

People may not be willing to pay for AI, but they’re certainly willing to use it. How they use AI, though, seems to be changing.

A new study from consultancy Accenture reveals some insights into how consumers perceive and use AI, and it’s seen as a lot more than just a tool for work. Instead, AI is becoming a personal influencer that users want to have a relationship with. 

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The numbers from this study show that as AI improves, people are rapidly trusting it with their personal lives. They’re asking the technology for relationship help, buying advice, professional encouragement, and more. The connection is so strong that many people said they wouldn’t mind AI making decisions for them.

Accenture explained: “What began as a tool that could provide personalized product recommendations or help create content is quickly becoming a powerful engine of consumer behavior — shaping what people want and expect, and how they buy.” 

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Generative AI, which helps people make decisions, is giving way to agentic AI, which makes decisions autonomously.

Here are some of the notable takeaways from Accenture’s Consumer Pulse Survey 2025:

• Almost three-quarters (72%) of consumers use AI tools regularly, with 36% of them considering AI “a good friend.”
• People are engaging with emotionally intelligent AI in a human-like way. As many as 94% of active users have or would consider asking AI for help with personal goals, and 87% of people said they have or would ask AI for relationship or social advice. This emotional connection is so important that more than one-third of active users (34%) said they would switch from their preferred AI brand to another one if it made them feel special. Ironically, excessive AI flattery is a common complaint from users. OpenAI recalled a ChatGPT update about a month ago because it was “sycophantic.”
• One in two people has used AI to make a purchasing decision. Nearly one in 10 people (9%) said AI is their most trusted source of information when it comes to making purchasing decisions. When active AI users were asked where they received purchase recommendations, 19% said the first place was a physical store, with 18% of people selecting AI as their primary source, beating social media, and friends and family.
• Three-quarters (75%) of consumers said they would be open to using an AI personal shopper that understands their needs.

Brands should focus on that final point. For many people, AI is becoming a friend who always knows what to suggest and can be trusted to act on their behalf. “AI is poised to become the decision-maker in everyday interactions — streamlining tasks like product comparison, checkout, and post-purchase support,” Accenture explained. 

Instead of traditional forms of advertising, such as online banner ads or in-store displays, and traditional decision points like price and specs that AI can quantify, a company will have to give consumers compelling reasons to interact with its brand. Exclusive access, unique content, and immersive experiences that provide a lifestyle connection will become more important than basic product details.

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Research for this study was conducted among 18,000 consumers in 14 countries.