85% of UAE Consumers Use AI for Online Shopping, Visa Study Finds

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a common part of the online shopping experience in the UAE, with 85% of consumers using AI-powered tools to assist with purchases, according to Visa’s latest Stay Secure study.

The 2026 edition conducted by Wakefield Research found that consumers are using AI for tasks such as checking reviews and product ratings (60%), comparing prices (59%), and finding gift ideas (55%). Overall, 93% of respondents said new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier.

Sixty percent said they typically discover new brands or retailers while shopping online, while 69% of respondents saying they have purchased products directly through social media platforms.

However, despite the widespread adoption of AI-assisted shopping, consumers remain cautious about allowing AI to complete transactions on their behalf. Only 32% said they would trust AI agents to handle checkout independently.

Meanwhile, 57% said AI has made scams easier to recognize, while 85% believe AI will play an important role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future.

“Visa’s Stay Secure study reveals that as online shopping and social commerce continue to accelerate, fraud and scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Consumers perceive fraud protection as a shared responsibility but expect banks and payment providers to take the lead, highlighting the importance of secure-by-design payment systems,” Dibyajyoti Sen, Head of Risk – GCC at Visa, said.

The study found that 46% of consumers experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. Among those affected, 38% said the incident occurred on social media, making it the most commonly reported platform for scams compared with websites, online marketplaces and shopping applications.

Moreover, 80% of the respondents said children in their lives struggle to recognize scams, while 67% reported knowing a child who had fallen victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online.

When asked who should bear primary responsibility for fraud protection, 36% of consumers pointed to banks or financial institutions, while an equal share cited government authorities and regulators. Thirty-four percent said payment providers should be primarily responsible, while 19% who said consumers themselves.