NEW YORK, NY, May 13, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- One great irony of the AI boom is the more people rely on it, the more they are beginning to distrust it.
According to a survey of over 2,000 consumers in five countries for its new report, "The AI-Powered Consumer," growth firm Prophet found that global consumer use of generative AI has increased more than 50% in the past two years, from 45% in early 2024 to 73% in 2026."
Yet, roughly two-thirds of AI users are concerned about the effects: specifically, that AI inaccuracies could influence world events while eroding logical skills and human connection. That raises the bar for business leaders.
Embracing autonomous agents
Many users have moved well beyond “prompting” towards more sophisticated and personalized AI use cases. More than a quarter of users (27%) report using AI to simulate future versions of themselves and testing how different purchase decisions might play out over time. Another 13% say they are sharing personal medical information with AI systems in exchange for tailored health guidance.
Furthermore, 66% of people say they want systems that can interpret intent and context without requiring carefully written prompts. As they experience more fluid interactions elsewhere, writing instructions, refining inputs, and managing outputs starts to feel like work. They want platforms that anticipate needs, recognize patterns, and respond with minimal friction. The direction mirrors changes already underway in enterprise environments, where more adaptive systems are replacing rigid input structures.
Top 5 agentic capabilities users want
- Discount monitoring and automatic purchasing: Monitor favorite brands and automate purchases when they're on discount (60%)
- Proactive customer service prevention: Proactively manage products and services to prevent issues or breakdowns (54%)
- Experience coordination: Coordinates experiences across multiple brands used (54%)
(e.g., automatically rerouting a dinner reservation as a result of a flight delay) - Needs-based purchasing: Automate purchases based on personal preferences (53%)
- Offer negotiation: Negotiates pricing and terms on the consumer's behalf (49%)