Key findings
- 77% of B2B buyers used an AI tool somewhere in vendor research.
- 30% used it to fact-check a vendor they had already found, 27% for initial discovery and 20% to narrow the shortlist.
- 21% of AI users fully trust its recommendations. 31% give it the lowest two trust scores.
- An AI tool was what got the vendor onto the shortlist in 12% of purchases.
Do B2B buyers use AI to research vendors?
Most do. Among 250 UK B2B buyers, influencers and decision-makers, 77% used an AI tool at some point in vendor research. 23% did not.
What do buyers use AI for?
Verification first. The most common use is fact-checking a vendor the buyer had already found (30%). Initial discovery is close behind on 27%, and 20% used AI to narrow the shortlist.
Buyers use AI to check vendors more than to find them
How were AI tools used during vendor research?
View data
| Answer | % |
|---|---|
| Fact-checking a vendor already found | 30% |
| Initial discovery | 27% |
| Narrowing the shortlist | 20% |
| Did not use AI | 23% |
Do B2B buyers trust AI recommendations?
Not fully. We asked the 192 buyers who used AI to rate their trust in its recommendations from 1 (none) to 5 (full). One in five (21%) give it a 5. A further 27% give it a 4.
At the other end, 15% have no trust at all and 16% give it a 2. Almost eight in ten (79%) stop short of full trust.
Only two in ten fully trust AI’s recommendations
How much do you trust AI recommendations? (1 = none, 5 = full)
View data
| Group | % |
|---|---|
| 1 (none) | 15% |
| 2 | 16% |
| 3 | 22% |
| 4 | 27% |
| 5 (full) | 21% |
Does AI get vendors onto the shortlist?
Sometimes. An AI tool was the route onto the shortlist in 12% of purchases. That puts it last of five routes, behind peer recommendation (26%), prior familiarity (24%), vendor outreach (19%) and analyst or review sites (18%).
Widely used. Rarely decisive
What this means
AI has become part of how buyers do their homework. It has not replaced the people they trust.
For B2B marketers, that points to two jobs.
- Make sure the facts AI finds about you are right. The most common use is checking. If what an AI tool says about your pricing, security or customers is thin, outdated or wrong, that is what the buyer sees at the moment they are verifying you.
- Don't mistake visibility in AI for a route to the shortlist. One in eight shortlist places comes from AI. Half come from peers and prior familiarity. AI confirms a reputation. It rarely creates one.
One in four buyers still uses no AI at all, so the traditional routes have not gone anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Do B2B buyers use AI to research vendors?
Yes. 77% of B2B buyers used an AI tool during vendor research, according to a survey of 250 buyers by The Reality Department.
What do B2B buyers use AI for?
Fact-checking a vendor they have already found (30%), initial discovery (27%) and narrowing the shortlist (20%).
Do B2B buyers trust AI recommendations?
Only 21% of buyers who use AI fully trust its recommendations.
Methodology
The Reality Department surveyed 250 UK B2B buyers, influencers and decision-makers at companies with annual revenue of $50m or more. Fieldwork: August 2026. The trust question was asked of the 192 who used AI.
Related: How do B2B buyers choose a vendor?
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