Brits still turn to Google and reviews before trusting AI
Key Points
- 78% of UK consumers use AI chat tools such as ChatGPT, according to CloudNine PR research published in 2026.
- Only 4% of UK AI users would buy an unfamiliar AI-recommended brand without carrying out further research.
- 46% of UK AI users would search Google to verify an AI brand recommendation, and 43% would check online reviews.
- 60% of UK AI users are more likely to trust AI recommendations that are supported by multiple sources.
- 63% of UK AI users would switch AI tool if advertising began appearing in AI answers.
UK consumers are increasingly using AI to discover new brands but remain unwilling to act on those recommendations without independent verification.
A survey of 2,564 UK consumers, commissioned by technology PR firm CloudNine, found that 78% now use AI chat tools such as ChatGPT.
Among those users, nearly eight in ten (79%) said they would want to check other sources before trusting a recommendation generated by AI.
Just 4% said they would consider buying an unfamiliar brand recommended by AI immediately, without carrying out any further research.
Instead, consumers reported turning to established channels to verify what AI tells them. Some 46% said they would search for a recommended brand on Google or another search engine, while 43% would check online reviews.
A further 32% would visit the brand’s website, 27% would search on Amazon, 10% would look for mentions in online publications, and 9% would check social media.
The findings suggest AI is becoming an established route to product discovery even as trust in its recommendations remains qualified.
More than half of AI users (52%) said the technology made it easier to find brands they would otherwise never have encountered, and 48% said they would consider buying from a brand recommended by AI despite having never heard of it.
Consumers also indicated they wanted greater transparency over how AI assistants reach their conclusions. Six in ten (60%) said they were more likely to trust a recommendation when it was supported by multiple sources, including articles, reviews and influencer content.
Uday Radia, owner of CloudNine PR, which commissioned the survey, said AI tools were rapidly becoming a product discovery channel and were helping lesser-known companies reach audiences they might not otherwise have found.
He added that while AI could help a brand get discovered, it was not enough to drive sales on its own, and that consumers who disliked what they found through search, review sites or earned media were unlikely to convert.
The research also examined consumer attitudes to advertising in AI answers, as OpenAI expands its ChatGPT ads pilot to the UK.
More than half of AI users (54%) said they would trust AI recommendations less if they saw advertising from companies in AI answers, and 63% said they would switch to a different AI tool if ads began appearing.
