The AI Buyer Journey Report 2026.

Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most influential channels in the modern buying journey. To better understand how consumers and business buyers are using AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Claude, Microsoft Copilot and Gemini, LLM Listed surveyed 770 buyers during Q2 2026.

• 350 B2B buyers
• 420 B2C buyers
• Respondents based in the United States (60%) and United Kingdom (40%)

The results show that AI is no longer an experimental tool. For most buyers, it is now a core part of researching, evaluating and selecting products and services.

The findings also reveal a significant challenge for businesses: buyers place extremely high trust in AI-generated information, and AI recommendations are actively changing purchasing decisions.

Among B2B respondents, AI usage during the purchasing process is now nearly universal. 91% of B2B buyers reported using AI at some stage during vendor evaluation. Even more significantly, 90% of those buyers said they use AI before making any contact with a supplier. Only 10% reported using AI exclusively after demonstrations or sales conversations.

This means that for most organizations, AI is influencing prospects long before a sales team has the opportunity to engage.

Consumer behavior mirrors this trend. 84% of consumers reported using AI at some stage during the buying process. 59% said that asking AI for product recommendations is often the first step they take. 65% said they use AI after reviewing some options to seek advice about which product or service they should ultimately choose.

For many consumers, AI is increasingly acting as a trusted advisor during decision-making.

Perhaps the most striking finding from the research was the level of trust respondents place in AI-generated information. 97% of respondents stated that they trust information provided by AI platforms.

This finding has major implications for businesses. If AI systems provide inaccurate, outdated, incomplete or negative information about a company, that misinformation could significantly influence purchasing decisions. Organizations can no longer assume that prospects will independently verify every recommendation or claim made by AI systems.

Trust in AI is not merely theoretical. The research found that AI recommendations are actively influencing buyer behavior. 85% of respondents stated that they have changed their opinion or purchasing decision because of information provided by an AI platform.

This suggests that AI systems are no longer simply supporting research. They are actively shaping market demand. For businesses, this creates both opportunity and risk.

Organizations that are accurately represented by AI platforms stand to benefit from increased visibility, stronger brand perception and higher conversion rates. Businesses that are omitted, misrepresented or described negatively risk losing customers before traditional marketing or sales channels have an opportunity to engage.

Perhaps the most concerning finding from the research is the impact of negative AI-generated information. 94% of respondents stated they would stop considering a company if an AI platform presented negative information about that business.

This finding highlights the growing importance of ensuring AI platforms provide accurate, up-to-date and complete information. Historically, businesses have closely monitored online reviews, press coverage and search rankings. AI responses now deserve similar attention.

For many buyers, AI systems are becoming trusted advisors. Inaccurate information, outdated details or negative narratives surfaced by AI may directly impact revenue.

The research also found that buyers frequently bypass traditional search behavior after receiving an AI recommendation. 91% of respondents said AI recommendations play an important role in their buying journey. However, many buyers do not click links directly within AI platforms. Instead, they typically:

• Type a company’s URL directly into their browser.
• Search Google for the company name.
• Ask AI for the company’s website or telephone number.

Among B2B buyers, 56% reported directly requesting company contact information from AI and using that information to contact vendors. This suggests that traditional web analytics may understate the true influence AI has on revenue generation. Businesses relying solely on referral traffic metrics risk significantly underestimating AI’s impact.

Despite the increasing use of AI during research, consumers still prefer to complete purchases on company websites. 70% of B2C respondents stated they prefer visiting the company’s primary website because they believe it provides a simpler and more trustworthy purchasing experience.

Interestingly, many respondents appeared unaware that modern AI platforms often allow users to click directly through to source websites. This reinforces the continuing importance of maintaining strong websites, conversion experiences and brand trust signals.

Consumer usage remains heavily concentrated around Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT. B2B buyers demonstrate a more diversified platform mix.

The fragmentation of B2B AI usage means businesses cannot optimize for a single platform alone. Organizations seeking visibility in AI search must ensure accurate representation across multiple AI ecosystems.

AI is no longer just a research tool. It is becoming a decision-making layer in the buying journey. For B2B buyers, AI is now used before most vendor conversations begin. For consumers, AI is increasingly used to discover products, compare options and decide what to buy.

The most important finding is not simply that buyers are using AI. It is that they trust it, act on it and change their decisions because of it.

For businesses, this creates a new commercial priority: ensuring that AI platforms understand, describe, cite and recommend them accurately. The companies that invest early in AI visibility will be better positioned to influence buyers at the moment recommendations are formed. The companies that ignore it risk becoming invisible in one of the fastest-growing discovery channels.