Pakistani consumers turning to AI to enhance shopping experience: report
KARACHI: Pakistani consumers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to enhance their shopping experience, with 82 percent using AI-powered tools for tasks such as comparing prices, checking product reviews, and finding gift ideas, highlighting the growing role of AI in purchasing decisions.
Visa on Tuesday has released its annual Stay Secure study in Pakistan, which assesses consumer awareness and behaviors around digital commerce and fraud. This year’s edition, conducted by Wakefield Research, highlights how AIenabled shopping and social commerce are changing consumer behavior even as expectations around trust and protection remain firmly in place.
According to report, consumers are embracing artificial intelligence as part of their shopping journeys some 82 percent in Pakistan have used AI tools to assist with shopping, including comparing prices (56 percent), finding gift ideas (47 percent), and checking reviews or product ratings (53 percent).
The appeal is clear that 93 percent feel new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier than before. AI is also influencing discovery, with 55 percent typically discovering new brands or retailers while shopping online.
However, consumers remain more cautious when it comes to AI handling transactions on their behalf. Today, only 42 percent would trust AI agents to complete checkout, reinforcing the importance of earning consumer trust in the age of agentic commerce.
Shopping through social platforms has become mainstream, with 82 percent of consumers in Pakistan having purchased products directly through social media platforms. As commerce expands across new channels, fraud risks continue to follow consumers online. 55 percent have experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. Among those who have experienced a scam, 44 percent report the incident occurred on social media, more than those who encounter scams on other platforms such as websites, online marketplaces, or shopping apps.
The study also highlights growing concern around how children encounter scams online, with 77 percent of consumers reporting that children in their lives struggle to recognize scams. A significant 33 percent have seen a child fall victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online.
That concern comes as children gain greater access to digital commerce. 44 percent of Pakistani parents have children who can access mobile payment apps or digital wallets.
When it comes to protecting against fraud while shopping online, consumers look first to institutions rather than themselves. 49 percent believe payment providers and online marketplaces should be primarily responsible, followed by government authorities or regulators (36 percent) and banks or financial institutions (31 percent). Only 13 percent believe consumers themselves should hold primary responsibility.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026