AI Is Lengthening the Path to Purchase, Not Shortening It, Analyst Warns

The promise of AI-driven "agentic commerce" — where artificial intelligence handles everything from product research to checkout — is running headlong into a stubborn human reality: consumers still want to shop for themselves.

Speaking at the EMARKETER Future of Digital summit, EMARKETER principal analyst Sky Canaves argued that AI is not simplifying the path to purchase but is instead layering in new complexity. "We can't necessarily engineer away the human desire to shop," Canaves said.

Consumers Prefer to Stay in Control

Human agency is emerging as one of the central barriers to agentic commerce. Canaves cited a PayPal survey finding that the leading reason consumers do not use AI to shop is that they prefer to do it themselves. "That human connection to how we buy is very long-standing," she said.

That reluctance does not mean consumers are avoiding AI altogether. According to EMARKETER forecasts, more than half of US generative AI users already use the technology for some form of shopping activity, and another 30 million AI digital shoppers are projected to emerge by 2030. But these users are staying engaged throughout the process. "They're not just buyers, they're people who do any kind of shopping activity, researching products, comparing prices, and so on online," Canaves noted.

AI's Influence Is Concentrated in the Middle of the Funnel

Rather than replacing human decision-making at the point of purchase, AI is most influential earlier in the journey — in the research and evaluation phase. "All of these regular AI-assisted shoppers, they're using it mostly for these mid-funnel behaviors," Canaves said, describing consumers looking up product details, comparing prices, and investigating specific items.

Critically, AI appears to be expanding the journey rather than compressing it. Citing Google research, Canaves noted that shoppers who use AI engage with 12 times as many touchpoints as those who do not. "Now that doesn't necessarily simplify or shorten the path to purchase," she said. More touchpoints create more opportunities to reach consumers but also make attribution harder and increase demand for content that works across channels.

Social Commerce Gains Ground on Search

The search for external validation after an AI recommendation is reinforcing the role of social platforms. According to EMARKETER's own path-to-purchase survey, social media has overtaken search engines for product discovery, with especially pronounced gaps in categories such as fashion and beauty. TikTok Shop is accelerating the trend and is expected to rank as the No. 8 US online retailer in 2027.

Gen Z as a Preview of What's Coming

Canaves positioned Gen Z as the clearest signal of where consumer behavior is heading. The cohort already leads other demographics in both generative AI usage and social buying, and by 2030 — when every Gen Zer will be an adult — it will also be the largest cohort of online buyers. "Gen Z moves fluidly between social AI, retailer apps, and physical stores," Canaves said.

That fluidity, in her view, illustrates a purchase journey where AI replaces nothing but sits alongside social platforms, retailer sites, and physical stores. For marketers, the implication is directional: "Plan for more complexity in the shopper journey, not less any time soon, and take your guidance from Gen Z and how their path is evolving across AI, social, and IRL," Canaves advised. "Brands have to ensure that that journey is as enjoyable as the destination."