Understand why burnout, skepticism towards artificial intelligence, and the search for meaning are reshaping purchasing decisions, and what this demands of brands that want to remain relevant.
The consumer of the future is not a distant promise. They already buy, research, and distrust brands today, shaped by years of economic crisis, digital saturation, and an increasingly ambiguous relationship with artificial intelligence. Institutes such as... WGSN, A global reference in forecasting consumer trends, and Gartner already describe this profile with data: someone more tired, more skeptical and, at the same time, more open to using technology, as long as it serves them, not the other way around.
The challenge for those leading marketing, growth, or product is that a large part of brand strategies were still designed for a consumer that no longer exists: the one who made impulsive decisions, blindly trusted automated recommendations, and had plenty of energy to engage with every new campaign. The consumer of 2026 and beyond demands something else: transparency, autonomy, and, above all, a reason to pay attention.
In this article, we've compiled the latest data on the consumer of the future, cross-referencing predictions from... WGSN, research from Gartner and surveys on Brazilian consumer behavior, to explain what changes in practice and where brands most often make mistakes when trying to anticipate trends.
The magnitude of the change, in numbers.
- Only 11% of consumers In the United States, companies are accepting the need to let artificial intelligence make independent decisions on low-risk purchases, such as personal hygiene items, according to research by [source missing]. Gartner with over a thousand consumers.
- More than half of Brazilians (54%) have already purchased a product recommended by artificial intelligence, and 66% use AI tools to search for products, according to a Branddi survey of 500 Brazilian consumers published by CartaCapital.
- 65% of people They report feeling exhausted by the excessive demands of daily life, and almost half of young people under 30 globally say they feel drained at work, according to the Great Exhaustion concept. WGSN.
- Brazilian e-commerce It is growing at a rate nearly four times that of physical retail, reinforcing the phygital journey described by McKinsey as a new standard for purchasing decisions in the country.
Together, these numbers tell the same story from different angles: the consumer of the future uses technology, but doesn't outsource their own decision-making to it, and arrives at that decision more tired and more selective than most brand strategies still assume.
The consumer of the future doesn't want AI to decide for them.
The easiest interpretation of the shift towards artificial intelligence in consumer behavior is also the most misleading: that AI will take over purchasing decisions and brands only need to optimize to be chosen by an automated agent. Gartner's data dismantles this interpretation. Consumers use AI to research, compare, and filter options, but strongly resist letting it decide alone, even in low-risk categories.
This doesn't mean that artificial intelligence is irrelevant to the buyer's journey. It means that its role is that of an assistant, not a substitute for human judgment, at least for now. Brands that treat their presence in generative AI merely as a new media channel, without investing in trust, clarity, and verifiability, tend to be seen exactly as the research indicates: another layer of noise, not real help. We've already written about how this shift in search behavior is reshaping the battle for visibility in [reference to research/publication information]. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), And the pattern repeats itself here: trust isn't manufactured with a prompt, it's built over time.
From burnout to glimmers: the new emotional yardstick of consumption.
While the market discusses automation, the consumer is dealing with something else: exhaustion. WGSN calls this moment the Great Exhaustion, a collective burnout fueled by rising cost of living, financial uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and climate anxiety, all at the same time. It's not a passing state: it's the emotional backdrop to any purchasing decision from 2026 onwards.
This consumer's response isn't to stop consuming. It's to seek small moments of relief, what WGSN itself calls glimmers: gestures, products, or experiences that provide a quick sense of security or joy, without requiring much decision-making effort. For brands, this changes what needs to be communicated. A discourse of urgency, scarcity, and constant comparison further tires a consumer who is already at their limit. What works is the opposite: simplicity, genuine humor, and the feeling that the brand understands the moment the person is living, not just the product they are going to buy.
Four profiles, one pattern: privacy, humor, and autonomy.
In its most recent Future Consumer reports, WGSN describes profiles that seem opposite at first glance, but converge on the same point. Privacy Guardians reject the culture of digital overexposure and seek simplicity, security, and control over their own data, in a growing skepticism towards technology that presents itself as indispensable. Energizers, on the other hand, respond to a hostile world with humor, absurdity, and what WGSN calls funtility: a mix of fun and purpose as a way to process bad news without completely shielding themselves from it.
What unites these profiles, and the Gleamer profile described for 2026, is the search for autonomy. These are consumers who have broken free from the enchantments of previous eras. They establish a digital presence without outsourcing their own judgment to algorithms or brands, they protect time and attention as scarce resources, and they reward those who deliver humor, honesty, and lightness instead of yet another promise of optimization. There is no public formula to reproduce this in a campaign. There is, however, a constant exercise of listening to what this consumer is truly signaling, category by category, before deciding on the next launch.
Common mistakes when trying to anticipate the consumer of the future.
- Treating generative AI as a shortcut to conversion: Forcing an AI agent to push a decision generates distrust, not sales. The consumer wants help, not a replacement for judgment.
- Confusing personalization with surveillance: Collecting data without transparency about its use fuels precisely the skepticism that the Guardians of Privacy represent.
- Ignoring consumer fatigue: Campaigns built solely on urgency and comparison compete for attention that is scarcer today than ever before.
- Keep data, content, and product in separate silos: Without integration between technology, CRM, and experience, it becomes impossible to respond to the speed that this consumer demands. It's the same argument we make when discussing... digital ecosystemsEach part of the brand operation needs to communicate with the others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the consumer of the future?
This is how research institutes like WGSN describe the purchasing behavior that is already taking shape, molded by emotional exhaustion, skepticism towards automation, and a search for autonomy and meaning in consumer decisions.
Will artificial intelligence replace the consumer's purchasing decision?
Recent research from Gartner shows that this is not the case, at least not in the short term. Most consumers use AI to research and compare, but prefer to retain ultimate control over the decision, especially in purchases they consider significant.
How can I tell if my brand is already speaking to the consumer of the future?
A good starting point is to review how the brand handles data transparency, communication tone, and presence in AI searches. We detail this mapping in the article about... GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
Does this behavior change across generations?
Yes. A significant portion of the data showing burnout and skepticism towards AI is stronger among people under 30, the same demographic that is already redefining how it interacts with brands on social media, as we detailed in the article about... Generation Z and social media.
Is it worth investing in artificial intelligence to serve this consumer?
It's worthwhile, provided the investment prioritizes trust and real utility, not automation for automation's sake. Every serious budget begins with a well-done briefing that maps out where AI actually helps the consumer make better decisions, without taking away their control over the choice.
Ready to prepare your brand for the consumer of the future?
At follow55, we help brands transform these behavioral changes into connected strategy, data, and product, not isolated initiatives.
References
- WGSN. Great Exhaustion, Future Consumer 2026. Available at: wgsn.com.
- WGSN. Consumer profiles that will shape the market in 2027. Available at: wgsn.com.
- Gartner. Gartner Survey Finds Consumers Want AI Shopping Help, But Not AI Purchase Decisions. May 2026. Available at: gartner.com.
- Branddi, via CartaCapital. Artificial intelligence influences Brazilian consumers' purchasing decisions. January 2026. Available at: cartacapital.com.br.
- McKinsey & Company. Five trends for Brazilian consumers in 2025, and what will remain in 2026. Available at: mckinsey.com.
