Eight in 10 Americans were already reading online reviews before first-time purchases in Pew’s 2016 survey, and the habit has deepened into a search for the “best” that often leaves shoppers less satisfied.
AI is intensifying that overload by surfacing star ratings first and summarizing hundreds of comments into a few lines, which can flatten nuance, misread preferences and sometimes amplify a small number of negative reviews.
Fake content adds another layer of risk: watchdogs say a robust black market for reviews persists despite the FTC’s 2024 rule banning false ratings, deceptive testimonials and sentiment-based incentives.
Experts say the problem is less reviews themselves than using them to optimize every trivial choice; defining specific needs and accepting “good enough” can reduce anxiety and disappointment.