Over the next seven years, the market value associated with the use of artificial intelligence in e-commerce is expected to more than double, reaching over $22 billion. Entrepreneurs see significant marketing potential in AI. From the consumer’s perspective, the presence of AI on sales platforms represents an opportunity to save time when searching for products and to receive personalized offers. However, it also poses significant risks—increased exposure to manipulation and deepfakes, as well as concerns about the security of personal data.
“Artificial intelligence can be very beneficial to us as consumers during shopping. Mainly, as customers, we benefit from various suggestions and product profiling. If we enter a specific type of good or product in the search engine and find that the offer is not good enough for us, artificial intelligence immediately suggests where else we can find a product that meets our needs. This is a very convenient solution during shopping and significantly shortens the time spent on an online store,” says Małgorzata Miś, President of the Consumer Protection Association Aquila.
According to SellersCommerce (“AI in eCommerce Statistics”), the market value of using artificial intelligence in e-commerce will be $8.65 billion this year and is projected to grow to $22.6 billion by 2032. Since 2019, the number of businesses implementing artificial intelligence has increased by 270 percent. One-third of online B2B commerce companies in the USA claim to have fully implemented AI, and 47 percent evaluate its application. Only 3 percent of such entities declare that they do not intend to use artificial intelligence. From “AI in eCommerce Statistics,” 34 percent of Amazon sellers most commonly use AI for writing and optimizing listings, another 14 percent for creating marketing content and for social media, and 7 percent for keyword research and improving SEO.
“Artificial intelligence is widely used in e-commerce. Primarily, these are various kinds of shopping assistants. Goods are shown to us based on our purchase history or searches. On the other hand, it also involves aggregating various kinds of data about our behaviors and displaying, for example, targeted ads. So, we receive advertisements for products and services that may actually interest us,” says Małgorzata Miś.
A serious threat related to the development of artificial intelligence from the consumer’s perspective is the risk of exposure to deepfake in marketing communications.
“If a politician appears offering to buy shares in a state-owned company, we are not able to determine whether he really spoke that way or if it is content created by artificial intelligence. AI can spread disinformation because it has mechanisms that can prepare very professional content that does not raise doubts. Of course, there is also the risk of various kinds of manipulation. In apps, certain content may be presented with the intent of eliciting certain emotions in us as users, which can distort our perception of content. In extreme cases, this can lead to real human dramas,” lists the expert.
The biggest challenge in implementing artificial intelligence solutions by commercial enterprises is the security and privacy of data. According to data cited by SellersCommerce, 44 percent of CEOs believe this, and 53 percent of managers and employees share these concerns.
“As users of various apps, we do not always consider whether our data, which we provide, are necessary to properly perform the service, while artificial intelligence may use these personal data in ways not necessarily beneficial for us. Therefore, we do not have control and knowledge of what happens with these personal data,” admits Małgorzata Miś.
The response to the risks involves new legal regulations, such as the AI Act adopted by the European Parliament. However, this is a regional regulation—limited to the countries of the European Union. Meanwhile, North America is the largest market for artificial intelligence in e-commerce, with China also being a significant player.
“The risks associated with artificial intelligence can be minimized by legal regulations that specify what kind of use of artificial intelligence is permitted or not. But remember, legal regulations are one thing; their proper application is also crucial, as well as compliance with various guidelines created by market regulators. It is incredibly important that, in addition to the regulations themselves, they are correctly applied, and also that the state apparatus is able to enforce them. Only such effectiveness at every stage, from the creation of the legal act to its application and enforcement, can provide real support for the consumer,” points out the President of the Consumer Protection Association Aquila.