Clutch Report: 86% of AI Assistant Users Think Ads Influence Their Answers
October 13, 2026
New survey finds advertising could put consumer trust in AI assistants at risk, even as relevant ads improve brand favorability
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Oct. 13, 2026 — AI assistants are becoming part of how consumers research, make decisions and shop, but new Clutch research finds advertising could complicate that relationship. While 96% of AI assistant users trust these tools to provide neutral answers to some degree, 86% believe an ad influences the answer they receive.
Clutch surveyed 628 regular AI assistant users in September 2026 to understand how consumers perceive advertising in AI assistants and how it affects trust, loyalty and brand perception.
Key findings include:
- 65% say ads in AI assistants are difficult to distinguish from real answers, despite 74% saying they are confident they can tell the difference.
- 89% wonder at least sometimes whether an AI assistant's product recommendation was paid for.
- 75% say ads in AI assistant answers would make them trust those answers less.
- 89% would take at least one step to avoid ads, including 50% who would switch to an ad-free assistant.
- 98% have at least one concern about AI assistant advertising, with 66% worried answers will become biased toward advertisers.
The concern is strongest around sensitive topics, with 68% saying ads during medical or health questions would be unacceptable. Still, 45% say relevant AI ads would improve their view of a brand, while 42% would research a product after seeing an ad.
“Consumers may be open to relevant advertising, but they need to understand when they are seeing an ad and trust that it is not influencing the answer they receive,” said Anna Peck, Clutch analyst. “For brands, that makes transparency just as important as relevance.”
Read the full report on Clutch.
About Clutch
Clutch powers how businesses discover, evaluate and hire the right B2B service partners. Through verified reviews, structured comparisons and intelligent matching, Clutch helps business leaders make confident decisions about the expertise they rely on, wherever their search starts. As B2B discovery evolves across marketplaces and AI-driven search, Clutch delivers the credibility signals and visibility that both buyers and providers need to navigate an increasingly complex decision environment. Today, over 400,000 service providers across more than 1,900 categories trust Clutch to connect them with buyers ready to hire.
Media contact
Emily Fulcher
Brand Marketing Manager
press@clutch.co