New SEON Survey Finds U.S. Consumers Are Embracing AI Agents, but 65% Would Blame the AI Company if One Commits Fraud

• Survey of 2,026 U.S. adults reveals a trust gap as AI agents move closer to handling money, identity and sensitive accounts
• 68% use an AI agent at least once a week for a personal task, yet 50% are uncomfortable letting one use their credit card details to complete a purchase
• 43% are not confident they could tell whether an AI agent’s request for information or account access is legitimate
• Only 15% would share financial information with an AI agent, and 32% would share nothing at all

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEON, the AI Command Center for Fraud Prevention and AML Compliance, today released findings from a survey of 2,026 U.S. adults on how consumers use, trust and worry about AI agents. While consumers are increasingly incorporating AI agents into everyday tasks, SEON’s findings suggest they aren’t yet comfortable giving them greater access to their finances and sensitive information. As developments like Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots point toward a future where consumers become more comfortable allowing agents to act on their behalf, banks, fintechs and payment providers will need to prepare for the challenge of recognizing when an agent is being used to commit fraud.

Consumers are embracing AI agents, but not with their money or sensitive data

• 68% use an AI agent at least once a week for a personal task
• Half (50%) are uncomfortable with an AI agent using their credit card details to complete a purchase they requested. That discomfort varies by generation: 65% of Boomers, 52% of Gen X, 47% of Gen Z and 34% of Millennials. Women are less comfortable than men (56% vs. 43%)
• Willingness to share data depends on the type of information: location (38%), purchase history (34%) and calendar access (34%) lead, while only 15% would share financial information. Younger adults are more willing to share financial information, but fewer than one in four would: 23% of Millennials and 22% of Gen Z, compared with 4% of Boomers
• Nearly a third (32%) would not share any information with an AI agent
  
  

A confidence gap in spotting fraud leaves consumers looking for accountability

• 65% say the company behind the AI agent should take responsibility for a fraudulent transaction completed by their agent, versus themselves (14%), the merchant (11%) or their bank or card provider (10%)
• The top fraud concerns are a scammer gaining access to the agent or to their accounts (20%) and the agent sharing personal or financial information without permission (20%)
• 43% lack confidence in their ability to judge whether an agent’s request is legitimate, and 39% distrust agents to recognize suspicious or risky situations on their behalf. Confidence in judging agent requests also varies by generation. Six in ten Boomers (61%) are hardly or not at all confident they could tell whether a request for information or account access was legitimate, compared with 28% of Millennials
• Human support if something goes wrong is the top trust-builder (50%), followed by the ability to reverse mistakes (42%) and strong identity verification (39%). Still, 23% say nothing would increase their trust
  
  

An agent accessing an account or completing a transaction may be carrying out a customer’s instructions or being used to commit fraud. Detecting that an agent is involved is only the starting point for assessing risk. Businesses need to evaluate that activity alongside identity, device and behavioral signals to better understand who is behind it, whether it aligns with the customer’s permissions and whether the broader pattern suggests fraud. This context can help businesses identify suspicious activity while allowing customers to use agents without unnecessary friction.

“Consumers are comfortable letting AI agents help with everyday tasks, but trust drops quickly when money and identity are involved. Half say human support would increase their trust, and they’ve already decided who is accountable when agent-driven transactions go wrong,” said Tamas Kadar, CEO and Co-Founder, SEON. “Businesses need to tell a helpful agent from a harmful one before money moves. SEON’s real-time risk signals show who is behind agent activity, so companies can adopt agents with confidence and keep customers protected.”

Methodology
The survey was conducted online from October 2 to 6, 2026, among 2,026 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. Data was weighted to the U.S. population on nine demographic variables, with a credibility interval of ±3 percentage points for questions answered by all respondents. Questions on guardrails were asked of a random half of respondents (n=1,016). Responsibility for fraud was asked of respondents who gave an opinion (n=885), excluding “not sure.”

About SEON
SEON is the AI command center for real-time fraud prevention and AML compliance, helping thousands of companies worldwide stop fraud, reduce risk and protect revenue. Powered by 1,100+ real-time, first-party data signals, SEON enriches customer profiles, flags suspicious behavior and streamlines compliance workflows. SEON’s AI detects hidden fraud networks, builds rules, visualizes data and drafts regulatory reports. Teams can also connect their own AI tools directly to SEON’s risk data through a secure integration. With integrated fraud and AML capabilities, SEON operates globally from Austin, London, Budapest and Singapore. Learn more at seon.io.

Media Contact
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