New research from AI visibility consultancy LLM Listed suggests AI-powered platforms such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Claude, Microsoft Copilot and Gemini are becoming trusted advisers throughout the buying journey, with an overwhelming 85% of buyers saying they have changed their mind because of an AI recommendation.
The findings come from the company's AI Buyer Journey Report 2026, based on responses from 770 buyers across the United States and the United Kingdom.
Perhaps even more striking is the level of trust respondents now place in AI-generated information. The study found that 97% trust information provided by AI platforms, while 94% said they would stop considering a company altogether if AI presented negative information about it.
For businesses, that represents a significant shift in how customers discover, evaluate and ultimately choose suppliers.
Business buyers appear to be embracing AI particularly quickly. According to the report, 91% of B2B buyers now use AI during the purchasing process, while 90% research potential vendors using AI before ever making direct contact.
Consumer behaviour is also changing rapidly. Around 84% of consumers now use AI somewhere during their buying journey, with 59% turning to AI as their very first stop when looking for product recommendations.
The research also suggests businesses may be underestimating AI's influence because many buyers never click directly through from AI platforms to company websites. Instead, they often search Google for a company name, type the website address directly into their browser or even ask AI tools for telephone numbers and contact details before making contact.
Among consumer users, Google AI Overviews (39%) and ChatGPT (35%) emerged as the two most popular AI platforms for product research. Business buyers showed more varied preferences, using Google AI Overviews (27%), ChatGPT (23%), Claude (15%) and Microsoft Copilot (11%) in significant numbers.
Ben Harper, Founder of LLM Listed, believes the findings demonstrate a major change in customer behaviour.
He said told That's Business: "The findings suggest that AI is no longer simply a research tool. It is increasingly becoming a decision-making tool."
He added that organisations can no longer afford to ignore how they appear across AI platforms, particularly when buyers are placing so much trust in the information they receive.
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday purchasing decisions, businesses may need to pay as much attention to how they are represented by AI systems as they do to their websites, search engine rankings and online reviews. In an increasingly AI-driven marketplace, visibility across these platforms could become just as important as visibility on traditional search engines.
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