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How AI is transforming value perception.

Consumer decision-making is entering a new era. AI-driven tools, sharper expectations of fairness and transparency, and the need for meaningful human interaction are reshaping what shoppers consider acceptable, valuable, and worth paying for. Price alone no longer defines value – quality, trust, and emotional connection matter more than ever.

What matters to today’s consumer 2026, the latest report from the Capgemini Research Institute, explores how AI, personalization, and emotion are influencing consumer choices, and what brands must do to deliver experiences that feel transparent, adaptive, and human. Key findings, based on a survey of 12,000 consumers across 12 countries, include:

• Fairness and quality define value: Transparent pricing, consistent policies, and clear communication now sit alongside quality as top value drivers. 74% of consumers would switch brands for lower regular prices. Health benefits, clean ingredients, and durability guide decisions, while bundles and warranties strengthen perceived value.
• Careful spending meets intentional indulgence: Consumers are trading down in some categories while retaining spending in others, especially where reliability matters. Impulse restraint is easing, signaling a modest rebound of “intentional indulgence” alongside persistent deal-seeking. Seven in ten (71%) consumers opt for treats and small indulgences to cope with financial stress.
• AI is becoming the consumer’s trusted guide: One-quarter (25%) of consumers have already used Gen AI shopping tools in 2025, while a further 31% plan to use them in the future. Yet control and transparency remain critical: 76% want clear rules for when an AI assistant acts, and 71% are concerned about how Gen AI tools use their data.
• Human touch still drives loyalty: Technology reduces stress for 65% of shoppers, but human support is essential for complex purchases. Preference for in-person assistance has surged: 74% value it during in-store service, and 66% during purchase decisions.

What matters to today’s consumer 2026 is essential for CMOs, digital and e-commerce heads, loyalty and consumer insights leads, product executives, and category managers, offering practical guidance for strategy, pricing, and technology teams seeking to meet evolving consumer expectations by:

• Accelerating growth with intelligent engagement: Position digital assistants as full engagement channels, pilot anticipatory commerce models with safeguards, and design promotions that are aligned with shopper behavior.
• Optimizing operations with seamless AI: Deploy AI that enhances clarity and consistency, strengthens pricing logic, and reinforces customer experience.
• Leading with purpose through resilient transformation: Make sustainability central, ensure responsible AI use, and redefine loyalty as a two-way relationship blending financial and emotional returns.

To discover how empowered consumers are redefining value, and how brands can respond by building transparency, trust, and emotional engagement in the age of AI-enabled shopping, download the report today.

On January 7, 2026, OpenAI announced ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience within ChatGPT designed to support health and wellness conversations. The company presents the feature as a way to help users feel more informed and prepared when navigating everyday health questions, while emphasizing that it is intended to support not replace clinical care.

OpenAI’s launch reflects how frequently people already use conversational AI for health-related topics. The company reports that more than 230 million people globally ask health and wellness questions on ChatGPT each week, a level of demand it says warrants a purpose-built health space with additional protections for sensitive information.

What ChatGPT Health Is

ChatGPT Health is described as a separate space inside ChatGPT where users can ask health and wellness questions and optionally connect personal health information to provide additional context. OpenAI states that Health is not intended to provide diagnosis or treatment; instead, it is designed to help users understand information, recognize patterns over time, and prepare for conversations with healthcare professionals.

This “separate space” concept is central to the product’s positioning. OpenAI explains that Health conversations, connected apps, and uploaded files are stored separately from a user’s other chats, with Health-specific memory intended to remain contained within the Health environment.

Key Capabilities and Connected Data

A distinguishing feature of ChatGPT Health is the option to connect health-related sources so responses can be grounded in the user’s own context. OpenAI indicates that this can support activities such as interpreting recent test results, preparing for medical appointments, and understanding lifestyle patterns derived from wellness tracking.

At launch, OpenAI highlights connections with wellness apps such as Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, and Function, among others. The company also notes that users can upload files and bring in records or summaries to inform the conversation within Health.

Medical Records Integration and Third-Party Partnerships

OpenAI states that medical record connectivity is enabled through a partnership with b.well for access to U.S. healthcare provider data. The company notes that medical record integrations are U.S.-only at launch, and OpenAI’s Help Center further notes that the optional Medical Records feature requires users to be over 18.

OpenAI also indicates that connecting Apple Health requires iOS and that Health is supported on web and iOS, with Android planned for later availability.

Privacy and Security Positioning

OpenAI frames privacy and security as foundational to the Health experience. In its product announcement and documentation, the company states that Health chats, files, and memories are not used to train its foundation models.

OpenAI also describes “layered protections” designed specifically for sensitive health information, including additional isolation for Health conversations. External reporting has noted that, as with other consumer technology products, Health remains subject to valid legal requests and does not operate as a clinical system under healthcare-specific regulations.

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Clinical Input and Evaluation

OpenAI states that ChatGPT Health was developed in close collaboration with physicians, reporting involvement from more than 260 physicians across 60 countries. The company says this work informed both how the system answers and how it prioritizes safety, clarity, and appropriate guidance to seek clinician input when needed.

Availability and Rollout

Access to ChatGPT Health is being introduced through a staged rollout. OpenAI says it is starting with a limited group of early users, with access managed through a waitlist. At launch, OpenAI indicates that users outside the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are eligible, and that availability will expand over time.

Relevance for Oncology-Focused Audiences

For oncology patients and caregivers, health information is often complex and distributed across multiple sources, including lab reports, visit summaries, imaging narratives, medication instructions, and symptom logs. A tool aimed at consolidating and explaining information in accessible language may be attractive for preparation and comprehension particularly when it encourages structured questions for clinical visits rather than substituting for medical decision-making. OpenAI repeatedly emphasizes that ChatGPT Health is designed to support care, not replace clinicians, which is especially relevant in high-stakes specialties such as oncology.

Written by Nare Hovhannisyan, MD