Bazaarvoice research finds consumers are using AI to help edit reviews, not ghostwrite

New data reveals nearly one in four consumer product review writers use AI tools, but the vast majority are using them only to refine grammar and tone

AUSTIN, Texas, March 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New research from Bazaarvoice Inc., the world’s leading platform for collecting and distributing authentic consumer product ratings and reviews, reveals how shoppers feel about the intersection between AI and the online product review ecosystem. The findings suggest that while shoppers may not be completely trusting of AI’s role, the core issue isn’t simply its use, but how it is applied and communicated. As AI becomes more common in content creation, consumers are making it clear that authenticity, transparency, and preserving a reviewer’s personal voice and valid personal product experience remain essential to maintaining trust in reviews.

According to the research, nearly 1 in 4 review writers (23%) say they use AI at least sometimes to help write reviews, signaling that AI is quickly becoming part of the review creation process. Yet despite rising adoption, 64% say reviews written with AI are not authentic, highlighting a growing tension between technological convenience and consumer trust. What makes this distrust interesting, however, is that only 16% are very confident they could distinguish between an AI-written and human-written review. 

“AI is rapidly becoming part of the shopping journey, but when it comes to reviews, authenticity still matters above all else,” said Doug Straton, Chief Marketing Officer at Bazaarvoice. “Consumers may use AI as a tool to help refine their thoughts, but they ultimately trust reviews that reflect real experiences and real voices. Our Content Coach feature is the perfect example of using AI to help generate reviews authentically. It doesn’t write anything for the shopper – it simply uses AI to suggest unbiased topic ideas tailored to the specific product category for the reviewer to write about, preserving review authenticity while increasing the length and richness of reviews to fuel future customer purchases.”

Despite authenticity concerns, the research shows that most consumers using AI tools are not outsourcing their opinions. Instead, they are using AI primarily as an assistant to improve clarity and structure. In fact, nearly half (47%) of respondents use on-site suggestion tools that are embedded in review platforms for this refinement. Those using third party generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity, overwhelmingly (83%) reported they write the full review themselves first, using AI tools only to refine grammar and tone. Additionally, half of respondents (53%) stated that they share their own notes and bullet points to guide AI assistance, showing that AI is not being used as the ghostwriter but as the copy editor. 

“Whether it comes to artificial intelligence usage in review writing or LLM suggested product recommendations, our research has shown time and time again that authenticity is paramount,” said Alex Kirk, Director of Insights at Bazaarvoice. “In previous research we’ve found that consumers are more likely to trust product recommendations provided from generative engines when they know that authentic ratings and reviews are sourcing the suggestions, so it makes sense that they want reviews to be written based on real human experience. Consumers can use AI to improve the grammar and clarity of their reviews, but they should always make sure they’re getting their honest thoughts and opinions across.”

Even among consumers who use AI to help write reviews, concerns about authenticity remain. Many respondents say AI-generated outputs can feel overly promotional or disconnected from their real experiences, with 48% saying the tone feels robotic, 44% saying it erases their voice, and 35% worrying it could introduce inaccurate product details.

“AI is here to stay, and its adoption is only accelerating; banning it entirely from review content is not only extremely difficult, it’s unnecessary - we’d have to ban the use of spelling and grammar checks built into our device operating systems while review writing, after all,” continued Straton. “A review written with AI assistance is not inherently fraudulent. There is a world of difference between a customer using AI to articulate their genuine experience and a bad actor using it to mass-produce fake reviews for products they’ve never touched. To ensure that AI and authenticity can coexist, we’re continuing to create digital guardrails such as our Intelligent Trustmark, a visual symbol we display on reviews that have passed Bazaarvoice’s rigorous authenticity standards, and are proven to be real and verified. Proper disclosure and unbiased moderation processes will be key as this space evolves.”

To learn more about the research, join Bazaarvoice’s webinar on April 1.

Research Methodology
This research was conducted using a two-phased methodology to capture consumer sentiment toward generative AI in the product review process. Phase one involved a baseline survey of 1,300+ participants aged 18+. It established broad trends in purchase intent and AI perception. To further explore the specific drivers of skepticism, a targeted follow-up survey was deployed to a subset of participants who identified as "unlikely to purchase" a product if they knew AI was used to assist in the review writing process. This follow-up survey was presented with five deep-dive questions focused on the distinction between AI review generation and AI review inspiration (Ex. Review Coaches). The study evaluated consumer awareness of these tools, their impact on perceived authenticity in both organic and incentivized contexts, the demand for mandatory AI disclosure, and the resulting shift in purchase intent when AI is used as a supportive "coach" rather than a primary author.

About Bazaarvoice
Bazaarvoice connects over 13,000 brands and retailers to the authentic shopper content that powers commerce. Our platform collects, moderates, verifies, and syndicates ratings, reviews and other user-generated content (UGC) such as customer photos and videos across the world’s largest shopper network, fueling everything from product pages to AI-driven discovery and search. We don’t just help you collect reviews; we turn the voice of the customer into your most powerful sales and marketing asset, ensuring your products are discovered, trusted, and chosen.

Founded in 2005, Bazaarvoice is headquartered in Austin, Texas, serving customers globally with offices across North America, Europe, India, and Australia. For more information, visit www.bazaarvoice.com.

Media Contact:
Lauren Venticinque
Lauren.venticinque@bazaarvoice.com

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