Young Belgians are now more likely to use AI tools than search engines to help guide their purchases, according to a survey by Belgian communications agency Twaalfde Man.
The survey examined the purchasing habits of 2,000 Belgians aged between 18 and 30, and found that nearly twice the number of respondents use AI tools like ChatGPT to discover new brands in comparison to search engines like Google. Over half of the respondents aged 26-30 claimed they frequently use chatbots to discover new brands.
"For years, the reflex was clear: to be visible online, you had to invest in your presence on Google. This isn’t disappearing, but a new entry point is opening," said Jasper Dockx, Twaalfde Man’s founder.
Nearly a third of respondents claimed AI made them consider or completely influenced their decision to purchase something in the last three months. For Dockx, the findings show that businesses may need to adjust their marketing strategies to reach younger consumers.
"Young people are now asking AI which brands or products are right for them," he said. "For companies, it is therefore becoming increasingly relevant to understand how to make their brand appear not only in search results, but also in the answers and recommendations provided by AI tools.”
AI-generated marketing
This shift in consumer behaviour is slowly being reflected in how Belgian businesses market themselves. According to The House of Marketing, 34.5% of Belgian companies with at least ten employees actively use AI to help or fully market their business – the fourth highest rate in Europe and nearly twice the EU average.
However, while there might be an increase in consumers using AI to help them discover products, this is not translating into a higher trust in AI-generated marketing.
A separate survey of 2,000 Belgians published by Belgian consumer protection association Testachats earlier this year found that around one-third of respondents were unsure whether companies would use AI responsibly, while another third believed they would not.
Testachats spokesperson Julie Frère addressed this concern in a statement attached to the bottom of the report.
"Artificial intelligence is establishing itself in Belgium as an essential technology,” Frère said. “For it to fully deliver on its promises, consumers now expect more transparency, education and effective regulation, in order to strengthen trust and guarantee the fair development of AI."
