U.S. retailers are more optimistic than consumers about the integration of artificial intelligence in retail, according to Colliers’ recent report, AI in Retail: Essential Insights for Retailers, Landlords and Consumers.

Just over three-quarters of U.S. retailers are optimistic about using AI in retail. This optimism reflects confidence in AI’s potential to enhance retail operations, from customer engagement to supply-chain management. Only 18.6 percent are pessimistic, likely due to concerns about implementation challenges, data security, potential job displacement and initial up-front costs.

Almost 80 percent of retailers use AI, even if they only experiment with the technology. A small number, 6.8 percent, have done nothing with AI. Only 8.5 percent of retailers are using AI extensively.

Consumers, however, are more skeptical about AI’s use in retail, with 26.8 percent optimistic, 54.0 percent pessimistic and 19.2 percent unsure. The main conce