To examine the influence of generative AI on consumer purchasing decisions, we conducted an online survey of 3,161 participants, representing a diverse cross-section of industries. Respondents were asked whether they had used generative AI tools to inform or make a purchase decision within the past year. To better understand industry-specific trends, we segmented responses by the sector in which the purchase was made, categorizing them into industries such as healthcare, automotive, retail, travel, and home services among others.
Once data collection was complete, we analyzed the prevalence of AI-assisted purchasing within each industry, ranking industries by the percentage of respondents who reported using generative AI in their decision-making process. This ranking provides insight into which sectors are experiencing the highest levels of AI-driven consumer influence. To ensure accuracy, responses were screened for consistency, and statistical weighting was applied to reflect demographic and industry representation more accurately.
The results are below, answering the question “Which industries’ customers are turning to generative AI to make purchases?” For brevity, we have listed only the top-ranking 15 industries.
The Top Industries Using Generative AI in Purchasing Decisions
| # | Industry | % of Customers Using Generative AI in Purchasing Journey | Purchasing Stage(s) | Purchasing Use Case |
| 1 | Travel & Hospitality | 16% | Discovery | Consumers plan personalized trips with AI-generated itineraries and use chatbots to get quick recommendations for flights and hotels. |
| 2 | Retail & CPG | 15% | Problem Solving, Discovery, Comparison | Consumers compare brands, get product recommendations, and seek the right product for their specific needs. |
| 3 | IT Services | 13% | Problem Solving, Discovery, Comparison | IT services customers seek personalized service recommendations and generate side-by-side vendor comparisons. |
| 4 | Lifestyle, Health & Wellness | 13% | Problem Solving, Discovery | Consumers seek solutions to improve their health and lifestyle, and are open to product and service recommendations. |
| 5 | Food & Beverage | 12% | Problem Solving, Discovery | Consumers look up recipes and product recommendations. Food retailers research consumer food trends. |
| 6 | Home Services | 11% | Discovery, Comparison, Validation | Home services customers estimate costs and find local HVAC, plumbing, and pest control providers through chatbots. |
| 7 | Healthcare | 11% | Problem Solving, Discovery | Consumers analyze their symptoms in search of a treatment; healthcare orgs research the latest technology to modernize their office or department. |
| 8 | Automotive | 9% | Comparison | Consumers often use generative AI to quickly compare vehicles and narrow their search down to 2-3 models. AI sees less used in the more relationship-driven B2B automotive industry. |
| 9 | B2B SaaS | 8% | Problem Solving, Discovery, Comparsion | Decision makers compare platforms and seek personalized software recommendations for their industry and use case. |
| 10 | Advertising & Marketing | 8% | Problem Solving, Validation | Marketing decision-makers ask chatbots questions about which platforms and integrations they need in order to have the martech stack that best suits their organization’s needs. |
| 11 | Fintech | 7% | Problem Solving, Comparison, Validation | Consumers look for finance apps that suit their lifestyle and needs. Business owners validate existing recommendations and compare tools. |
| 12 | Insurance | 7% | Problem Solving, Comparison | Business decision makers and consumers research which insurance solution is best for them and attempt to optimize pricing |
| 13 | Real Estate | 6% | Discovery, Comparison | Investors analyze neighborhoods and crunch numbers in order to make decisions about which properties are worth investing in. |
| 14 | Financial Services | 6% | Problem Solving, Comparison | Consumers and businesses both use generative AI to find and compare financial service providers. |
| 15 | Education | 6% | Discovery, Comparison, Validation | Prospective students use chatbots to find the best programs for their specific interests and schedule. |
Purchasing Stages
Generative AI’s Financial Impact in 2025
Below, we estimate generative AI’s financial impact on each of the 15 industries above by multiplying each industry’s total market value by the percentage of customers that use generative AI to make purchasing decisions in that industry:
| # | Industry | 2025 Market Value (USD) | Generative AI’s Estimated Financial Impact |
| 1 | Travel & Hospitality | $9.25 trillion | $1.48 trillion |
| 2 | Healthcare | $10.06 trillion | $1.11 trillion |
| 3 | Food & Beverage | $7.8 trillion | $936 billion |
| 4 | Retail & CPG | $5.94 trillion | $891 billion |
| 5 | Lifestyle, Health & Wellness | $4.2 trillion | $546 billion |
| 6 | Insurance | $5.5 trillion | $385 billion |
| 7 | Education | $6.3 trillion | $378 billion |
| 8 | Automotive | $2.7 trillion | $243 billion |
| 9 | Real Estate | $3.81 trillion | $229 billion |
| 10 | IT Services | $1.2 trillion | $156 billion |
| 11 | Financial Services | $22.5 trillion | $135 billion |
| 12 | Advertising & Marketing | $1.3 trillion | $104 billion |
| 13 | Home Services | $600 billion | $66 billion |
| 14 | Fintech | $310 billion | $21.7 billion |
| 15 | B2B SaaS | $157 billion | $12.6 billion |
Further Reading
To learn more about the commercial impact of generative AI, as well as how to optimize your business’s online presence so that it’s more often recommended by generative AI chatbots, read our other reports below:
- Generative AI Chatbots by Market Share
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Explanation & Algorithm Breakdown
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Strategy Guide
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