Israeli Youth Trust AI Over Parents for Shopping Advice

A new study indicates that young Israelis are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for guidance on purchases, often prioritizing AI recommendations over those of their parents. The research, conducted by Mastercard and Opinium, surveyed 26,000 adults and teenagers across 13 European countries and Israel.

Israelis, particularly teenagers aged 13-18, show a higher propensity for using AI in daily shopping decisions compared to their European counterparts. The survey found that 68% of Israeli teens believe AI agents will make purchases for them in the future, versus 57% in Europe. Currently, one in four Israeli teens prefers AI recommendations to parental advice, a figure that rises to 32% among 17-18 year olds. However, peer influence remains stronger, with only 19% trusting AI more than their friends.

Approximately one-third of teenagers are already using AI to compare products and prices, and half anticipate AI becoming a primary shopping tool within the next few years. In contrast, only about one-fifth of parents utilize such technologies. Differences in AI adoption for shopping are also evident between age groups. Teenagers are more inclined to use AI for clothing and footwear (60.5%), electronics (44%), gifts (43%), and hygiene products (42%). Parents, on the other hand, are more likely to use AI for planning vacations (52%), home goods (51%), groceries (46%), and clothing (42%). A majority of adults still prefer to personally approve AI-generated purchases.

Eyal Paz, CEO of Mastercard Israel, commented that Israel is once again demonstrating its position at the forefront of adopting next-generation consumer technologies. He noted that teenagers relying more on AI than their parents highlights the rapid pace of these changes. The article also briefly references a previous report by "Cursor" suggesting that rapid AI development and a lack of retraining programs could lead to job displacement for older Israelis.