Consumers are increasingly open to letting artificial intelligence (AI) move beyond answering questions and begin acting on their behalf, but that willingness remains selective and uneven. New PYMNTS Intelligence data shows meaningful interest in autonomous AI assistants for everyday planning, even as a sizable share of consumers remain cautious about handing over control.
Overall, three in 10 consumers say they would be interested in an autonomous AI assistant handling at least some of their everyday planning, signaling early but notable demand for agentic AI in personal contexts. The data suggests the next phase of consumer AI adoption will hinge less on conversation and more on trust, task specificity and perceived value.
Interest in AI Assistants Is Real but Not Universal
The data is based on a survey of 2,113 U.S. adult consumers conducted from Oct. 14 to Oct. 29 and finds that while enthusiasm for fully autonomous AI assistants remains far from mainstream, it is no longer niche. Roughly 30% of consumers express willingness to let an AI assistant independently manage certain personal tasks, such as organizing schedules or helping with shopping decisions. At the same time, resistance remains strong among holdouts. About 44% of consumers who currently do not use conversational AI say they would not allow an autonomous AI agent to perform any personal task included in the survey.
That split highlights a defining tension in consumer AI adoption. Curiosity and openness coexist with skepticism, particularly among those who have yet to incorporate conversational AI into their daily routines.
Still, the data shows that reluctance is not absolute. More than one in five conversational AI holdouts express interest in using an autonomous agent for tasks related to everyday planning, organization, shopping or purchasing, suggesting that practical use cases could pull new users into the market.
The findings point to a gradual adoption curve rather than a sudden leap compared to generative AI adoption, as reported by PYMNTS previously. Consumers appear less interested in handing over broad authority to AI and more willing to test autonomy in bounded, familiar contexts where the payoff is clear.
Everyday Planning and Shopping Lead Use Cases
Among consumers open to AI assistants, everyday planning and commerce-related activities emerge as the most attractive use cases. Nearly one-third of consumers say they would allow an AI agent to help with everyday planning and organization, making it the most cited task category overall. Shopping and purchasing follows closely, with just over 30% willing to let an AI assistant handle at least part of the process.
Other categories cluster slightly lower but still show meaningful interest. Roughly one-quarter of consumers would allow an AI agent to assist with writing and communication, learning and self-improvement, or managing health and wellness information. Tasks such as planning travel and local activities or exploring entertainment and hobbies draw interest from about one in four consumers as well.
Financial tasks remain more sensitive. Only about one in five consumers say they would allow an autonomous AI agent to manage finances or banking-related activities, underscoring persistent trust barriers when money and security are involved. Consumers remain cautious about automation in high-stakes areas, even as they grow more comfortable with AI elsewhere.
Notably, the data shows the share of consumers reporting a willingness to let an AI agent perform “no activity” drops sharply as AI familiarity increases.
Power Users Point to Where Adoption Is Headed
The strongest signal of future demand comes from existing AI power users, which are those who use AI for multiple tasks. Among consumers who already use conversational AI frequently, interest in autonomous assistance rises dramatically across nearly every category. Roughly two-thirds of power users say they would let an AI agent autonomously handle some aspect of everyday planning and organization, more than double the rate of the overall population.
Commerce-related tasks show similar jumps. Nearly six in 10 power users are open to AI-driven shopping and purchasing, while about half would allow an AI agent to assist with discovering what to buy, writing and communication, or exploring entertainment and hobbies. Even in traditionally sensitive areas, openness increases. Nearly half of power users say they would allow an AI agent to help manage finances or banking tasks.
By contrast, non-users remain far more skeptical. More than four in 10 non-users say they would not permit an autonomous AI agent to perform any of the tasks listed, reinforcing the idea that trust and familiarity are prerequisites for adoption.
