UK shoppers wary of AI product images, survey finds

Photoroom has released UK eCommerce survey data showing widespread consumer concern about AI-generated shopping content. The findings point to a trust issue in online retail as digital product imagery becomes more central to buying decisions.

The survey found that 72% of consumers are concerned about AI-generated product recommendations, while 31% said visible AI-generated marketing makes them trust brands less. It also found that 87% see visuals as the most important factor in a purchase decision.

Those results come as online shopping continues to dominate retail behaviour in the UK. More than 90% of UK internet users now shop online, according to figures cited by Photoroom, increasing the importance of digital images in place of in-person inspection.

The issue for sellers and marketplaces appears to go beyond the sheer volume of content on product pages. Consistency and authenticity in product images are becoming more important as AI tools make it easier to generate and alter visuals across large numbers of listings.

Photoroom's data also showed that 63% of consumers believe inconsistent product imagery makes a seller or marketplace appear unreliable. That underlines a commercial risk for platforms that rely on standardised presentation to support buyer confidence.

Visual trust

The broader concern reflects a wider shift in how consumers judge online retail environments. In marketplaces where shoppers cannot physically examine goods, photographs and other visuals often carry much of the burden of showing what a product is and whether a seller is credible.

As generative AI becomes more common in eCommerce, that judgement is becoming harder to manage. Photoroom cited Deloitte research showing that among consumers familiar with or using generative AI, 70% agree that AI-generated content makes it harder to trust what they see online.

That creates a dilemma for eCommerce businesses. AI tools can help merchants produce and adapt commercial images at far lower cost and in much greater volume, but any sign that visuals are misleading may weaken trust and increase the risk of returns.

Photoroom, which says it has more than 300 million users globally, has built its business around AI-based image editing for online sellers and other users. It processes more than seven billion images each year across mobile, web and API products.

Founded in 2019, the business operates in more than 180 countries. Its tools are used for tasks including background removal, batch editing and generating AI-created backgrounds, images and shadows.

Returns risk

Jeff Strauss, Head of Imaging, linked the trust issue directly to financial consequences for eCommerce operators. He argued that synthetic images that do not faithfully represent products can quickly damage customer relationships.

"The fastest way to the bottom is a bunch of returns," said Jeff Strauss, Head of Imaging at Photoroom. "If you are going to create synthetic imaging that is false, you are just lying to your customers, and in eCommerce the customer corrects that with a return. That is why realism and fidelity are not optional. They are the thing."

The survey findings come as retailers and marketplaces face increasing scrutiny over how AI is used in customer-facing systems. Product recommendations, ad creative and listing images can all be improved through automation, but they are also points where consumer confidence can be damaged if people feel they are being misled.

For marketplaces in particular, the challenge is magnified by scale. A platform hosting millions of listings may struggle to maintain a consistent visual standard when sellers have access to low-cost generative tools that can quickly alter or fabricate product presentation.

The figures suggest consumers are not rejecting AI outright. Instead, they point to unease about how the technology is applied and whether the resulting content remains truthful and coherent across a retail platform.

In practice, that means online sellers may face pressure to use AI in ways that improve image quality without obscuring a product's real appearance. The data indicates that shoppers still rely heavily on visuals but are becoming more sensitive to signs that those visuals have been manipulated.

With online shopping now embedded in mainstream consumer behaviour, the quality of product imagery has become as much a trust signal as a sales tool. Photoroom's findings suggest that for eCommerce businesses, concerns about AI are shifting from novelty to credibility.