Two-Thirds of Top Marketing Leaders Expect a High Level of AI-Driven Disruption to Consumer Behavior

Jan 20: AI is rewiring the digital economy in real time, forcing marketers to decode new consumer behaviors and rethink their playbooks. In a survey of top marketing leaders, 67% say they expect major disruption to the consumer journey, and nearly all are bracing for meaningful shifts ahead. To understand which industries are most exposed to disruption from consumer-facing large language models and AI assistants, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Moloco—a leader in AI performance advertising—have developed the Consumer AI Disruption Index. The joint report assesses 17 consumer-facing verticals in terms of their vulnerability to AI-driven disruption. 

These are among the insights in a new report from BCG and Moloco titled Battle for the Interface: Introducing the Consumer AI Disruption Index. The report features findings from a survey of 238 senior marketing leaders from five regions of the world, combined with performance data from more than 3,200 apps with over 200 billion downloads. The data includes anonymized vertical benchmarks from Moloco advertisers such as metrics for retention, user value, and acquisition cost, and from organic and paid traffic sources. 

“AI is fundamentally reshaping how consumers interact with brands,” said Giorgo Paizanis, a BCG partner and co-author of the report. “Our research shows that to win, marketers must build defensibility on three fronts: discovery, service, and customer relationships. Those who move early can turn this disruption into a durable advantage, recasting AI from a threat into a new channel for growth.” 

Introducing the BCG x Moloco Consumer AI Disruption Index

The Consumer AI Disruption Index is a qualitative and quantitative study that maps 17 consumer-facing verticals along two axes: risk of AI-driven disruption and strength of customer relationships (see exhibit). 

The index reveals four archetypes of readiness: 

• Breached (for example, travel, retail, and news): These verticals face high disruption risk as AI compresses discovery and comparison. Their survival depends on strengthening customer relationships and embedding AI within their own platforms.
• Undefended (for example, gaming, dating, and GenAI): These verticals face moderate disruption but have weak brand ties. Their challenge is to convert transactional relationships into durable loyalty through personalization and AI partnerships.
• Secured (for example, fintech, financial services, and media/streaming): These verticals are at lowest risk for disruption, with inherent trust and regulatory moats. Their opportunity lies in using AI to drive efficiency and hyperpersonalized engagement.
• Contested (for example, productivity): These verticals combine strong customer equity with some exposure to service disruption risk, putting them in a strong position to define how AI integrates into their verticals.

“As consumers move from the world of search to the world of answers, we're seeing a behavioral shift that risks disrupting digital brands across a broad range of industries,” said Paul D’Arcy, Moloco chief marketing officer and a co-author of the report. “The companies that will thrive in this new age of AI will focus on longer-term customer relationships, owned digital surfaces like apps, and strategies that strengthen brand and loyalty.”