4 in 10 Vehicle Shoppers in Indonesia Use AI. Only 4 in 100 Trust It Completely

Picture a 28-year-old walking the floor of a vehicle exhibition. On his phone, an AI chatbot has already compared three cars for him — price, fuel use, features. He may know the specs better than the sales staff.

But before he signs anything, he calls his older brother.

That is the pattern we found when we asked more than 1,400 automotive-engaged consumers how AI fits into buying a car or a motorcycle. We surveyed them at vehicle exhibitions in 2026. Every question was about vehicles, not about AI in general.

In my last article, I looked at everyday shopping in Greater Jakarta. This time, the purchase is much bigger.

The Numbers: AI in Vehicle Shoppers in Indonesia

• 40% used an AI chatbot in the past year for something linked to vehicles.

• The most common uses: learning about a brand or model (24%) and comparing brands, products or prices (24%).

• Among AI users, 35% said AI helped most with comparing, and 33% with learning.

• Only 6% said AI helped most at the final decision.

• Only 4% trust an AI chatbot completely when choosing a vehicle — the lowest of five sources.

AI is being consulted. It is not being obeyed.

Men used AI more than women (44% vs 32%). But this mostly reflects who was shopping for a vehicle. Among people who used AI, men and women behaved the same way.

Be Found, Be Verified, Be Chosen

In my last article, I introduced three jobs for brands in an AI-assisted journey. For vehicle shoppers in Indonesia, all three are easy to see on how AI is used — and the trust data gives a clear clue about who does each one.

Be Found: AI's main job here is comparison. If AI cannot compare your model correctly — price, variants, features — you may drop off the shortlist before the customer ever reaches your showroom.

Be Verified: this job still belongs to people. Here is the share who trust each source completely: family or friends 15%, dealers and showroom staff 14%, other customers' reviews 10%, brand websites and social media 10%, AI chatbot 4%.

Be Chosen: dealers are the second most trusted source, just behind family and friends. The showroom is still where the decision is made. What is likely changing is the customer who walks in — more of them arrive with an AI comparison already done.

A Surprise Worth Noting

You might expect AI to matter even less at the decision when the purchase is this big. In everyday shopping in Greater Jakarta, 3% said AI helped most at the final decision. Here it is 6%.

I would not read much into that gap. The two studies used different samples, and this one surveyed people at vehicle exhibitions who were already engaged with the category. But the two studies agree on the main point: whatever the price tag, AI rarely makes the call.

What This Means for Automotive Brands

1. Ask major AI tools to compare your models against your main competitors. Check that prices, variants and features are correct.

2. Keep specs and prices consistent across your website, dealers and marketplaces. AI draws from all of them.

3. Brief your showroom staff. Ask customers what AI told them — then confirm or correct it.

4. Bring family into the decision: test drives for two, owner stories, referral offers. Family is still the most trusted source.

5. Do not budget for AI as a sales closer yet. Only 4% have completed a vehicle purchase through AI or chat.

What This Study Does Not Show

This is a survey of automotive-engaged consumers at vehicle exhibitions. The figures are unweighted, so they describe this group, not all vehicle buyers in Indonesia.

Next in This Series

In the last piece, I bring four RBC studies together — everyday shopping, vehicles, Gen Z mothers and vocational students — to look at one question: how much of the decision are consumers willing to hand to AI?

For now, the picture is clear. AI helps people compare. People help them decide.

(Based on RB Consulting study, 2026: 1,400+ automotive-engaged consumers surveyed at vehicle exhibitions, cars and motorcycles, unweighted. "How AI helped most" is based on consumers who used AI in their vehicle journey.)