While consumers become increasingly familiar with using AI across their buying journeys, new research from ACI Worldwide shows that trust, transparency and control remain critical requirements before fashion shoppers are ready to hand over purchasing decisions to AI agents.

Polling over 3,300 consumers across the UK and U.S., its study revealed that shoppers are most interested in AI tools that help them save money. Price drop alerts and price comparisons were the most valued features (35% each), significantly ahead of personalised product recommendations (18%) and outfit suggestions (17%).

Yet, while consumers see a role for AI in helping them shop smarter, the research suggests that wider adoption of agentic commerce will depend on confidence in how purchases are authorised, monitored and protected.

Just 7% of the fashion shoppers it surveyed would allow an AI assistant to make purchases for them without approval, with most consumers preferring to maintain oversight of spending decisions.

This follows separate research by the MACH Alliance, which found that a third (32%) of shoppers are happy for AI to take control of researching a purchase, but they still want to retain authority over the final product selection and spending decision. Its figures suggest only 9% would be comfortable with AI completing a payment autonomously, dipping even lower to 4% for complex or high consideration purchases.

“Consumers are drawing a clear distinction between AI that helps them make better decisions and AI that makes decisions for them,” said Adriana Lordan, Global Head of Merchant Product Management and Payment Intelligence at ACI Worldwide.

“Fashion shoppers see real value in AI tools that help them find better prices, but they’re not ready to hand over the final purchase decision. For merchants, the challenge is making AI-driven purchases feel as secure and controllable as any other transaction.”

The findings highlight an opportunity for merchants and payment providers to build the authentication, authorisation and fraud controls required to support trusted AI-driven commerce.

As AI becomes a more active participant in commerce, payments intelligence and real-time risk management will be critical to ensuring transactions remain secure, transparent and reliable, it said.

“Shoppers are telling us they want AI to inform the purchase, not make it,” said Marie Driscoll, President of the Retail Marketing Society.

“Price tools succeed because they add insight without removing control. Handing a fashion purchase decision to an agent is a much bigger leap of faith. The requisite trust will be earned when retailers prove that AI can be reliable, transparent and safely constrained, not just convenient,” Driscoll added.