AI-Generated Product Photos Are Putting Off Online Shoppers, Study Finds

A majority of U.S. online shoppers say AI-generated product images make them less confident about buying a product, according to new research from e-commerce UX research organization Baymard.

The study, conducted in June 2026, surveyed 2,273 U.S. online shoppers. It found that 60% would be less confident about a purchase if they knew the product images were AI-generated.

Of those surveyed, 25% said AI-generated images would slightly reduce their confidence, while 18% said they would significantly reduce it. Another 17% said they would not feel confident enough to buy the product at all.

Just 18% said knowing an image was AI-generated would make no difference to their purchasing confidence.

The findings come as retailers increasingly turn to generative AI to produce product imagery, including lifestyle shots, virtual models, and other marketing visuals, often as a way to reduce photography costs.

Last month, PetaPixel reported that food delivery app Just Eat apologized for several inaccurate AI-generated photos on menus, including a nauseating picture of bacon and eggs floating in a soda.

Meanwhile, fashion photo studios are closing down as brands increasingly embrace AI thanks to the big savings offered by the technology.

“Shoppers don’t treat product photos as decoration. They use them to check what they’re actually going to receive: the color, the fit, the texture, the scale,” says Christian Holst, co-founder of Baymard. “An AI-generated image undermines exactly that. For one in six shoppers, it’s enough to walk away from the purchase.”

Holst adds that AI still has a place in product imagery but argues that retailers should prioritize authentic photography for core product views. AI-generated backgrounds and lifestyle scenes can be used as supporting visuals, he adds, provided brands take steps to maintain shopper trust.

Baymard recommends that retailers prioritize authentic photography for primary product images, limit AI-generated visuals to supporting content, and address potential shopper skepticism when using AI imagery.

The full findings and charts are available on Baymard’s website.

Image creditsHeader photo licensed via Depositphotos.