A new Visa study has found that 91% of consumers in Egypt are using artificial intelligence as part of their shopping journey, highlighting the growing influence of AI on consumer behavior and the increasing importance of trust in digital commerce experiences.
The findings illustrate how AI is rapidly becoming embedded in everyday purchasing decisions, from product discovery and recommendations to price comparisons and personalized shopping assistance. As consumers become more comfortable interacting with AI-powered tools, retailers, fintech companies, and payment providers are adapting their strategies to meet changing expectations while ensuring security and trust remain central to the transaction process.
According to the study, Egyptian consumers are increasingly relying on AI-driven technologies to navigate online shopping experiences. These tools help users discover products, evaluate options, receive personalized recommendations, and make more informed purchasing decisions. The trend reflects a broader shift toward AI-enabled commerce that is reshaping retail and digital payments markets globally.
The rapid adoption of AI in shopping comes as Egypt’s digital economy continues to expand. Rising smartphone penetration, increased internet usage, and growing adoption of digital payment methods are creating favorable conditions for technology-driven consumer experiences. Retailers and e-commerce platforms are increasingly leveraging AI to improve customer engagement, optimize marketing strategies, and enhance service delivery.
While adoption is growing, the study highlights that trust remains a decisive factor when consumers reach the payment stage. Security, privacy, transparency, and confidence in transaction processes continue to influence purchasing behavior, regardless of how sophisticated AI-powered shopping experiences become.
This finding is particularly significant as digital commerce evolves beyond traditional online storefronts. AI-powered shopping assistants, conversational commerce platforms, and automated purchasing recommendations are becoming more common, creating new opportunities for convenience while also raising questions about data privacy and consumer confidence.
For payment providers such as Visa, the intersection of AI and trust is becoming increasingly important. Consumers may use AI to guide purchasing decisions, but payment security remains the foundation of successful digital transactions. Ensuring safe and reliable payment experiences is therefore essential to sustaining the growth of AI-driven commerce.
The study also reflects wider trends across the Middle East and North Africa, where AI adoption is accelerating across consumer-facing sectors. Retailers are using AI to improve personalization, forecast demand, optimize inventory, and deliver more relevant shopping experiences. At the same time, payment providers are deploying AI to strengthen fraud detection, risk management, and transaction security.
As AI capabilities continue to evolve, businesses are expected to increasingly integrate intelligent technologies throughout the customer journey. However, maintaining transparency and trust will remain critical to encouraging consumer adoption and long-term engagement.
The findings underscore the growing convergence of artificial intelligence, digital payments, and e-commerce as key pillars of the modern digital economy.
Editor’s Note
The study highlights a significant shift in consumer behavior: AI is rapidly becoming a mainstream shopping tool rather than an emerging technology.
For years, AI adoption was largely associated with enterprise applications, data analytics, and automation. Today, consumers are directly interacting with AI as part of everyday activities, including shopping, product research, and purchasing decisions. This transition marks an important milestone in the maturation of AI technologies.
The finding that 91% of Egyptian consumers use AI during shopping journeys is particularly notable because it demonstrates how quickly intelligent technologies are becoming embedded in consumer experiences across emerging markets. Egypt’s large, digitally connected population is increasingly embracing AI-powered services, creating new opportunities for retailers, fintech providers, and digital platforms.
However, the study also reinforces a critical reality: trust remains the currency of digital commerce. Consumers may welcome personalized recommendations and AI-powered convenience, but they still expect strong safeguards around payments, privacy, and data security. The companies that successfully combine intelligent experiences with trusted transaction environments will be best positioned to win customer loyalty.
From a fintech perspective, the findings suggest that the future of commerce will be shaped by the integration of AI and payments. Intelligent shopping assistants, conversational commerce platforms, and automated purchasing experiences are likely to become more common, creating new opportunities for innovation across retail and financial services.
The broader implication is that AI adoption is entering a new phase where consumer trust becomes a strategic differentiator. As AI takes on a larger role in purchasing decisions, businesses will need to demonstrate transparency, security, and accountability alongside technological innovation.
For Egypt’s digital economy, this trend signals the emergence of a more sophisticated consumer technology landscape where AI is not only influencing how people shop but also reshaping expectations around convenience, personalization, and trust in digital commerce.
