{"id":78790,"date":"2026-04-09T12:34:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/?p=78790"},"modified":"2026-04-09T12:34:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:34:32","slug":"consumers-wary-of-ai-slop-still-trust-online-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/consumers-wary-of-ai-slop-still-trust-online-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Consumers wary of ‘AI slop,’ still trust online reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Trust in online product reviews is increasing despite artificial intelligence (AI) \u201cslop\u201d becoming more widespread, according to research from the marketing and automation platform Omnisend.<\/p>\n

In a January 2026 study, Omnisend found that 84% of Americans said they trust online product reviews. At the same time, 33% trust online product reviews more than they did two years ago. Omnisend commissioned the study, and research marketplace Cint conducted the research. The polling reflects responses from more than 1,000 U.S. consumers about shopping habits over the prior year.<\/p>\n

Separate research from Capital One, published in March, indicates that 82% of consumers had encountered fake reviews at least once over the past year. And 46% of identified fake reviews were for full ratings \u2014 five out of five stars.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, Capital One found that 30% of online reviews, on average, are \u201cfake or ungenuine.\u201d It also found that the number of fake reviews grows 12.1% faster than the total number of online reviews.<\/p>\n

Capital One said fake reviews boost product sales 12.5% in the first two weeks after they go live. It also cited U.S. Federal Trade Commission data that determined a business purchasing fake reviews can generate a 1,900% return on investment. On the flip side, negative fake reviews can reduce business 25%.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the age of AI, people are naturally turning to other people for reassurance,\u201d said Marty Bauer, ecommerce expert at Omnisend, in a statement. \u201cWhen everything from product descriptions to images can be generated instantly, reviews can feel more genuine than anything a brand says. But just because it feels genuine doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s real. It\u2019s important to be extra cautious and use common sense \u2014<\/span> even when the content looks human.\u201d<\/p>\n

Omnisend finds concerns about AI, fake online reviews<\/h2>\n

\u201cIn a world where AI makes content seen online harder to trust, consumers are drawn to user reviews as a source of real-world validation,\u201d according to Omnisend.<\/p>\n

It cited data from its study with Cint that found 63% of U.S. consumers use AI for shopping. 47% of them use it for product research.<\/p>\n

Still, 86% of respondents said they had lingering concerns about AI-generated product recommendations. 28% said they were worried the AI included a bias, and 21% said they thought the recommendations were paid for.<\/p>\n

Almost all (93%) said they double-check AI-generated recommendations before completing a purchase. And 27% said they always verify first.<\/p>\n

Bauer said consumers try to \u201cnavigate a digital world they don\u2019t fully trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a kind of loop where people are overwhelmingly skeptical of AI, yet still depend on content that AI can easily manipulate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A separate Omnisend study of 4,000 consumers across four countries found further insights about how consumers use AI to navigate online reviews. It found that 47% of U.S. consumers had used AI for product research and recommendations in the second half of 2025.<\/p>\n

Capital One cited publicly available data that:<\/p>\n