Will Google’s new AI shopping agent weaken influencer recommendation power?

Creators could lose some of their recommendation influence under Google’s new AI shopping update, which lets users generate personalised product suggestions without relying on reviews or social media content.

Rolled out earlier this month, the feature introduces an AI agent that allows users to describe what they want – “moisturisers for dry winter skin” or “a grey sweater that works for weekdays and weekends” – and receive curated recommendations directly inside Google’s search environment. 

The system is built to streamline the early stages of online shopping, comparing prices, surfacing discounts, analysing price history and, in some cases, calling nearby stores to confirm stock availability. With user permission, Google Pay can then complete purchases automatically.

Google positions the feature as a way to reduce what it calls “endless scrolling, comparing prices, and clicking through filters”. Its line — “describe what you’re looking for, like you would to a friend” — places the tool in a space creators have shaped for more than a decade: informal, trust-driven product discovery, rooted in personality and voice rather than structured search.

The timing is significant. The creator economy is still working out how AI will reshape trust, authenticity and commercial value. 

In a recent interview with The Daily Influence, the Influencer Marketing Trade Body (IMTB) and Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) said the growth of AI is already forcing advertisers to think more carefully about the difference between human creativity and automated content, with trusted creators likely to retain value precisely because their influence is rooted in recognisable, human-to-human connection.

That matters because creators remain central to how consumers – especially younger ones – discover products. Shopify data shows 69% of consumers trust influencer recommendations more than brand messaging. Gen Z behaviour points in the same direction: most of their time is spent online, and influencers remain the primary way they encounter new products. Creators still occupy a cultural position AI cannot easily replicate.

Where Google’s update sits in that landscape is still emerging. It introduces a second route into product discovery – one that bypasses the creator layer altogether – by offering a fast, structured shortlist instead of a human narrative. But creators continue to hold cultural weight and credibility, and industry bodies are clear that authenticity remains a defining advantage in an environment increasingly shaped by automation.

For now, the balance hasn’t shifted. Creators still shape what people buy and why, even as platforms experiment with AI-led recommendation tools. Google’s update signals how the shopping journey is evolving, but whether consumer behaviour follows at the expense of creator influence remains an open question the industry will be watching closely.