Eight in ten consumers in the UAE are already using artificial intelligence to help them shop online, but far fewer are willing to let AI complete a purchase on their behalf, according to an annual study released by Visa.
The study, conducted by Wakefield Research and titled “Stay Secure,” found that 85% of UAE consumers have used AI tools in their shopping, most commonly to check product reviews and user opinions (60%), compare prices (59%), or generate gift ideas (55%). A further 93% said AI-powered tools had made online shopping faster and easier than before.
Despite that enthusiasm, trust breaks down at the checkout. Only 32% of respondents said they would trust an AI agent to complete a payment on their behalf, a finding that points to a significant gap between AI as a research aid and AI as an autonomous actor in financial decisions.
Fraud is an increasing concern in parallel with AI adoption. Some 46% of participants said they had been the victim of financial fraud in the past twelve months. Of those, 38% said the incident occurred via social media, a higher share than fraud reported through websites, digital marketplaces, or shopping apps. The study also found that 69% of UAE consumers have bought products directly through social media platforms.
Child safety online emerged as a secondary concern. Around 80% of respondents said children in their lives would struggle to identify fraud attempts, and 67% said they had observed a child being targeted while gaming or shopping online. A third of parents in the UAE said their children have access to mobile payment apps or digital wallets.
On the question of who bears responsibility for fraud prevention, consumers pointed firmly at institutions rather than themselves. Equal shares of 36% said banks and financial institutions, and regulatory authorities, should carry the primary burden of protecting consumers. Payment service providers were nominated by 34%, while only 19% said consumers themselves should bear primary responsibility. A majority (60%) said real-time alerts from their bank or payment app when suspicious activity is detected would make them feel safer.
Debiajyoti Sen, head of risk management for the GCC at Visa, said the study showed that as e-commerce and social commerce continue to grow, so do online fraud methods. “Consumers see fraud protection as a shared responsibility, but they expect financial institutions, government entities, and payment service providers to lead these efforts,” he said, adding that this reinforces the importance of building payment systems with security as a foundation rather than an afterthought.
