SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

More than half of UK consumers who use AI assistants say the tools help them discover new brands. But only 4% would buy from an AI-recommended brand without checking elsewhere, according to a separate finding from the same survey.

The research, commissioned by CloudNine PR, surveyed 2,564 UK consumers, including 1,989 who said they use AI chat tools such as ChatGPT.

Among those AI users, 52% said the technology makes it easier to find brands they would never have found otherwise. At the same time, 79% said they would still check other sources before trusting a recommendation from an AI assistant.

The figures suggest a gap between discovery and purchase. While 48% said they would consider buying from a brand suggested by AI even if they had not heard of it before, most still said they would verify the suggestion through more established sources.

Search engines were the most common next step, with 46% saying they would look for the brand on Google or another search engine if an AI tool recommended one they did not know.

Online reviews followed closely, with 43% saying they would check them before deciding whether to trust the recommendation. Another 32% said they would visit the brand’s website, while 27% said they would search for the brand on Amazon.

Smaller shares said they would compare the recommended brand with others, check coverage in online publications or look for social media mentions. Just 19% said they would compare it with competing brands, 10% would check online publications and 9% would look for social media references.

The survey also found that trust rises when AI-generated answers are supported by several sources. Six in 10 AI users said they are more likely to trust recommendations backed by multiple sources, including articles, reviews and influencer content.

The finding adds to a broader debate over how AI assistants are changing online discovery while still relying on trust signals established long before generative AI entered mainstream consumer use. Search results, review platforms, marketplace listings and media coverage continue to shape how consumers judge unfamiliar brands.

Uday Radia commented on the findings.

“AI tools like ChatGPT are rapidly becoming a product discovery channel and they’re helping lesser-known brands get noticed – companies that people might never have come across otherwise. Importantly, however, while AI helps you get discovered it’s not enough to drive conversions on its own. If a consumer doesn’t like what they see about you in Google, independent review sites and earned media, they’re unlikely to become customers,” said Uday Radia, Owner, CloudNine PR.

Advertising concerns

The survey also examined how users might respond if advertising becomes more common in AI-generated answers. The question has become more relevant as major AI and search companies test ways to monetise conversational interfaces.

More than half of AI users, or 54%, said they would trust AI recommendations less if companies’ adverts appeared in AI answers. A larger share, 63%, said they would switch to another AI tool if ads started appearing.

Those responses suggest advertising in AI interfaces could carry reputational risks for providers as they try to build new revenue streams. For brands, the data also indicates that visibility through AI alone may not be enough if users become more sceptical once paid placements are introduced.

The issue is already being tested across the market. OpenAI has expanded its ChatGPT advertising pilot to the UK, while Google has widened ad formats in AI-led search experiences. Anthropic has taken a different position, saying it opposes advertising because it could create incentives that conflict with keeping its Claude assistant helpful.

OpenAI has previously said its ad pilot showed “no impact on consumer trust metrics”, according to comments reported by Reuters. Its partnership with adtech company LiveRamp is designed to help advertisers measure whether ChatGPT adverts lead to purchases.

For brands and retailers, the results underline that AI may now sit near the top of the funnel rather than at the point of conversion. Consumers appear willing to use chatbots to surface unknown products, but they still want proof from search, reviews, websites, marketplaces and media coverage before they spend money.

CloudNine PR said the data was collected by market research company TLF Research from UK consumers, with questions focused on product discovery through AI tools and attitudes towards ads appearing in AI responses.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Qorden AI has launched Qordenate, a multilingual video-conferencing translation platform that provides simultaneous translation across more than one million language combinations.

The Dubai-based company said Qordenate translates speech in real time during video calls, allowing participants to hear meetings in their own language as they happen. It supports 33 languages and can handle up to six languages simultaneously in a single call.

The launch addresses a common problem in international workplaces, where meetings often involve speakers using English as a second language or switching between languages. Qorden said the platform is designed for those conditions, translating spoken conversation, live captions and in-meeting chat.

Users choose their preferred language before joining a meeting. The cloud-based system does not require software installation, according to the company.

Qordenate supports up to 300 participants per call. It also produces a smart recap after meetings and includes administrative controls for webinars and podcasts.

Qorden said the translation engine was trained on how people speak in professional settings rather than on textbook language patterns. That approach, it said, helps the system manage code-switching, including combinations such as Tagalog and English in Southeast Asia, German and Japanese in business discussions, and formal Arabic used in Gulf commerce.

The company said the platform delivers up to 97% translation accuracy with low latency. Users can also customise the output to reflect their own speaking tone and register rather than use a generic synthetic voice.

Accessibility focus

Alongside translation, the service includes an embedded feature called VoiceBridge, which provides text-to-speech conversion for users with speech impairments and other disabilities. Qorden pointed to the scale of that potential market, saying more than 170 million people worldwide have speaking disabilities.

Qordenate is built on what the company calls its Language Ecosystem, the common engine behind its wider product range. That portfolio also includes QSAP for contact-centre speech analytics, Dubbix for dubbing and content localisation, and QDub for real-time voice translation.

Qorden said the underlying platform is also designed to be available through application programming interfaces for developers and corporate teams that want to add multilingual functions to their own software.

Pricing model

The service is launching with a freemium structure, alongside Pro, Business, Scale and Enterprise plans. Qorden said its webinar product is priced on a pay-as-you-go basis according to participant numbers and call duration.

The company said the service runs on Amazon Web Services infrastructure and that it is a member of the Nvidia Inception Program.

Real-time language translation has become an increasingly contested area as companies try to reduce friction in remote work, customer service and cross-border collaboration. The challenge is maintaining speed and accuracy when multiple speakers, accents and mixed-language exchanges are involved in the same conversation.

Qorden is positioning its product around multilingual meetings rather than single language pairs. Many translation services work best when one language is treated as the source and another as the destination, while business meetings often involve several languages being used at once.

“By removing the language barrier, we are freeing people to focus on a deeper level of communication which favours important aspects of the communications experience, improving productivity, efficiency and overall team performance,” said Moeen Khan, Founder and CEO of Qorden AI.

Khan also set out the company’s view of the broader business problem. “The language barrier is a major cognitive challenge faced by every business in the world. Miscommunication often results in confusion, increased costs and project delays,” he said. “Solving this problem requires a complete language engine and collaboration platform built from scratch, not a feature overlay, and Qordenate delivers that and is able to execute near-perfect simultaneous translation in real time.”

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Virgin Media O2 has unveiled a Green Transition Plan setting out how it will reach net zero carbon emissions across its full value chain, including its broadband and mobile networks, by the end of 2040.

The telecoms group aims to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90% and Scope 3 emissions by 50% by 2030. It says it has already reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 63% against its 2020 baseline.

The plan sets out measures on energy sourcing, network resilience and device reuse. Virgin Media O2 aims to source 100% carbon-free energy from UK sources while improving energy efficiency across its operations.

Alongside emissions targets, the plan places greater emphasis on preparing infrastructure for the effects of climate change. Virgin Media O2 wants to build and operate more climate-resilient broadband and mobile networks as part of a broader effort to reduce risk across the business.

Device reuse

A second strand of the plan focuses on extending the life of consumer technology. Virgin Media O2 aims to double the number of customers buying refurbished devices by 2030 and to double the number recycling unwanted devices through O2 Recycle over the same period.

It also wants to promote a device reuse culture in 30 UK cities by 2030. The work will build on its existing partnership with Coventry City Council, with devices reused locally and passed on to people who need them.

These measures form part of the group’s wider environmental, social and governance strategy, which identifies climate and circularity as core priorities. The plan takes a broader view of the business, from how networks are built and run to what happens to products and devices after first use.

Virgin Media O2 says the transition plan is underpinned by 14 “transition levers” intended to help meet its targets. These include working with suppliers to cut carbon and waste from network and customer equipment, improving the energy efficiency of customer devices, and continuing to invest in networks that support the UK’s net zero transition.

External support

The operator also pointed to areas where it believes outside support will be needed. Progress will depend in part on the decarbonisation of the UK electricity grid and on a government-led national strategy to enable the electrification of commercial vehicle fleets.

The announcement comes as large companies face growing pressure from investors, regulators and customers to show not only climate targets but also detailed plans for meeting them. Telecoms groups face particular scrutiny because of the energy demands of mobile and fixed networks, as well as the emissions linked to their supply chains and customer devices.

Virgin Media O2 serves around 46 million UK mobile connections and 5.8 million fixed-line customers. Its fixed network covers 18.8 million premises and its mobile network reaches 99% of the UK population, giving the company a broad operational footprint over which to apply the measures in the plan.

Dana Haidan outlined the company’s position in a statement accompanying the plan. “Our Green Transition Plan is a milestone in Virgin Media O2’s journey to become a more resilient, lower-carbon business. It’s a long-term commitment backed by action across many interconnected areas as we work to reach net zero, give technology a second life and build and operate climate-resilient networks. Embedding responsible business into every decision Virgin Media O2 makes is key as we reduce our environmental impact, help protect the planet and keep our customers connected,” said Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2.

Nigel Topping, Co-Founder of Ambition Loop and UN Climate Champion for COP26, welcomed the publication of the plan and linked it to wider corporate climate reporting expectations. “Credible climate transition plans are becoming a defining feature of responsible business leadership. What matters is not just ambition, but clarity on how targets will be delivered in practice, through transparent, accountable and measurable action across the whole value chain. At the same time, businesses must prepare for the physical impacts of the climate crisis, strengthening their resilience while reducing emissions. That’s why I welcome Virgin Media O2’s leadership in publishing a clear and robust Green Transition Plan. Plans like this help build confidence among investors, policymakers and the public that the transition is both achievable and underway,” said Nigel Topping.