Trust in online product reviews is increasing despite artificial intelligence (AI) “slop” becoming more widespread, according to research from the marketing and automation platform Omnisend.
In a January 2026 study, Omnisend found that 84% of Americans said they trust online product reviews. At the same time, 33% trust online product reviews more than they did two years ago. Omnisend commissioned the study, and research marketplace Cint conducted the research. The polling reflects responses from more than 1,000 U.S. consumers about shopping habits over the prior year.
Separate research from Capital One, published in March, indicates that 82% of consumers had encountered fake reviews at least once over the past year. And 46% of identified fake reviews were for full ratings — five out of five stars.
Additionally, Capital One found that 30% of online reviews, on average, are “fake or ungenuine.” It also found that the number of fake reviews grows 12.1% faster than the total number of online reviews.
Capital One said fake reviews boost product sales 12.5% in the first two weeks after they go live. It also cited U.S. Federal Trade Commission data that determined a business purchasing fake reviews can generate a 1,900% return on investment. On the flip side, negative fake reviews can reduce business 25%.
“In the age of AI, people are naturally turning to other people for reassurance,” said Marty Bauer, ecommerce expert at Omnisend, in a statement. “When everything from product descriptions to images can be generated instantly, reviews can feel more genuine than anything a brand says. But just because it feels genuine doesn’t mean it’s real. It’s important to be extra cautious and use common sense — even when the content looks human.”
Omnisend finds concerns about AI, fake online reviews
“In a world where AI makes content seen online harder to trust, consumers are drawn to user reviews as a source of real-world validation,” according to Omnisend.
It cited data from its study with Cint that found 63% of U.S. consumers use AI for shopping. 47% of them use it for product research.
Still, 86% of respondents said they had lingering concerns about AI-generated product recommendations. 28% said they were worried the AI included a bias, and 21% said they thought the recommendations were paid for.
Almost all (93%) said they double-check AI-generated recommendations before completing a purchase. And 27% said they always verify first.
Bauer said consumers try to “navigate a digital world they don’t fully trust.”
“It’s a kind of loop where people are overwhelmingly skeptical of AI, yet still depend on content that AI can easily manipulate,” he said.
A separate Omnisend study of 4,000 consumers across four countries found further insights about how consumers use AI to navigate online reviews. It found that 47% of U.S. consumers had used AI for product research and recommendations in the second half of 2025.
Capital One cited publicly available data that:
- TrustPilot removed about 4.5 million consumer-written reviews in 2024 (7% of total).
- Google blocked or removed 240 million reviews worldwide in 2024, citing policy violations that include fakes.
- Amazon blocked or removed more than 275 million fake reviews in 2024. In one year, Amazon spent more than $500 million and hired 8,000 employees to combat fake reviews.
How can online retailers navigate fake, AI reviews?
“These days, it’s less about the sheer number of reviews you have and more about how much people can trust them,” Bauer said.
He added that shoppers look for “simple signs” of real reviews: verified purchases, detailed feedback and transparency surrounding collection.
Omnisend offered three tips for combatting fake AI reviews:
- Surface key information without just relying on volume.
- Show what makes reviews trustworthy.
- Use independent verification when possible.
Omnisend said genuine reviews should highlight pros, cons and “the most helpful feedback.” They should also be in “structured formats” that both human shoppers and AI tools can interpret. Furthermore, it said a smaller set of detailed and mixed reviews can build more credibility than “hundreds of generic five-star ratings.
Retailers can also prioritize verified purchases, Omnisend said. Additionally, they can include timestamps, reviewer history and other context, which can include media (photos and videos) and use cases.
Third-party review platforms and other external validators can add another layer of credibility, Omnisend said. That could reduce biases that consumers perceive.
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