Nearly half of surveyed U.S. consumers used at least one AI tool to help them with shopping, according to consumer intelligence firm NielsenIQ, suggesting that the technology may be an emerging influence on American shopping habits. Data showed 42 percent of consumers have used at least one AI tool to shop within the past month, NIQ said in a recent statement. This was based on its ongoing research that sampled approximately 500 U.S. consumers earlier this year. The findings, NIQ said, point to AI ’s influence on how consumers evaluate their options and narrow their choices before they make a purchase. More specifically, 17 percent of the respondents used AI for product recommendations. Ten percent used a voice assistant to either purchase or reorder items and 10 percent engaged with an AI-powered shopping assistant . “We are witnessing the early stages of an industry-wide fundamental shift from search to decision,” said Liz Buchanan, NIQ North America president.…