There’s a fundamental shift happening in the digital economy. For decades, the internet connected people to information. Then it connected people to businesses. Today, we’re entering a new era where technology is beginning to act on our behalf, helping us search, shop, compare options and make decisions faster than ever before.
Our latest Experian Identity & Fraud Report found that nearly one-third of consumers are already using AI tools to support online browsing and shopping, while another 23% are open to doing so. Consumers are embracing AI’s convenience and efficiency in ways that would have been difficult to imagine just a few years ago.
Yet beneath that enthusiasm lies an important reality: trust hasn’t kept pace.
The trust gap
The findings from our report reveal what I believe is one of the defining challenges of the next few years. People are comfortable using AI to help them browse or gather information, but when it comes to major decisions, confidence drops dramatically. Only 21% of consumers are comfortable relying on AI for travel purchases, and just 17% trust AI with financial decisions.
That gap between AI adoption and AI trust matters. In fact, it may become the single most important factor determining which organizations thrive in the future.
Fraud concerns remain high
The new report also found:
- Nearly one in five consumers experienced financial losses from online fraud in the past year, while an additional 15% reported fraud attempts that were successfully prevented.
- More than 70% of fraud victims said the experience left them feeling more vulnerable online.
- Businesses identified AI-generated phishing attacks as their top AI-related fraud concern, followed by AI-assisted first-party fraud, document forgery, automated bot attacks and deepfake voice scams.
- Eighty percent of organizations report using machine learning or generative AI as part of their fraud management and prevention strategies.
- Seventy-one percent of consumers say it is important for businesses to accurately recognize them online.
- Eighty-four percent are willing to complete additional security steps when necessary to help prevent fraud.
As AI continues to transform digital experiences, businesses face a unique challenge. The same technologies helping organizations improve efficiency and customer experiences are also being used by fraudsters to create more sophisticated attacks. The good news is that companies are responding by leveraging AI-powered fraud prevention, identity verification and risk management tools to detect anomalies and stop fraud faster than ever before.
Convenience will be a key driver
Looking ahead, organizations must prepare for what I often describe as a “human-not-present” era, where AI agents increasingly help consumers research, shop and even transact on their behalf. In this environment, businesses will need confidence not only in the identities of consumers but also in the digital agents acting for them.
Consumers have made their expectations clear: they want security and convenience, not one at the expense of the other. The organizations that can deliver both through transparent, seamless and trusted experiences will be best positioned to succeed.
The future of AI is incredibly promising. But its success will depend on something fundamentally human: confidence. The companies that earn and maintain that confidence will be the ones that lead the next generation of digital commerce.
To learn more about the findings from Experian’s 2026 Identity and Fraud Report and emerging fraud trends shaping the digital economy, watch our webinar: 2026 Fraud Trends: Navigating AI and the Future of Digital Trust