Supplier research already incorporates GenAI
The B2B buying process has never depended on a single source.
Buyers consult websites, recommendations, documentation, conversations, directories, search engines, and other resources before deciding whom to advance.
The Gartner survey adds a new layer to that behavior: the 645 B2B buyers surveyed reported using an average of seven information sources during a recent purchase, and 45% used GenAI, primarily to research suppliers and products.
This means a company can enter an evaluation before receiving a visit, form, or email.
The buyer can request comparisons, research capabilities, or try to understand differences among suppliers without any of them knowing the opportunity exists.
AI does not eliminate the need for validation
The same study prevents an overly simple conclusion.
Although buyers use more digital channels and GenAI, 69% prefer to validate AI-generated insights with sales representatives.
The reason is logical: a generated answer can help organize information, but a B2B purchase involves context, conditions, exceptions, and responsibilities that are not always public.
The buyer may use AI to understand who appears relevant and then turn to a person to confirm:
- actual capacity;
- availability;
- price;
- compliance;
- lead times;
- specifications;
- contractual conditions;
- additional evidence.
The seller does not disappear. The seller receives a buyer who may arrive with more prior research.
The first evaluation happens with available information
For an industrial supplier, this change increases the value of a clear information base.
A tool cannot confirm what a company never published or what its sources describe inconsistently.
That does not mean the organization must publish confidential information.
It means that information intended for external evaluation should answer basic questions without requiring reconstruction:
- what the company makes or does;
- for which industries;
- in which locations;
- under which certifications or standards;
- which markets it serves;
- which capabilities are documented;
- which information requires direct confirmation.
Speed increases the cost of ambiguity
Gartner also reported a relevant tension: 51% of buyers believe they are more likely to encounter misleading information in GenAI, while 49% assign that risk to a sales representative.
This places trust at the center of the process.
The advantage is not producing more content to “convince AI.” It is reducing the distance between what the company says, what its sources can demonstrate, and what a salesperson will later confirm.
When the website, profiles, documents, and human conversation begin from compatible facts, validation is simpler.
When each source tells a different story, AI only makes an existing inconsistency more visible.
B2B sales becomes more hybrid
The evidence points toward a process where digital, AI, and human participants fulfill different functions.
Technology supports self-service and research.
The seller provides context, negotiation, validation, and support for complex decisions.
The opportunity for an industrial company is to design its information for both moments:
before contact, enough to be found and evaluated; during contact, precise enough to be confirmed and expanded.
The company does not control the list a buyer builds. It does control how well it can support the public information involved in that evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI replacing B2B salespeople?
The cited evidence does not support that conclusion. Gartner observes greater use of GenAI and self-service, but also a strong preference for validating information with sales representatives.
What percentage of B2B buyers used GenAI?
In Gartner’s survey of 645 buyers, 45% said they had used GenAI during a recent purchase, primarily to gather information about suppliers and products.
Why does website information remain important?
Because it is part of the set of sources buyers and systems may use to understand the company. It should be consistent with profiles, documents, and the information sales will later confirm.
Should a company publish all its capabilities and specifications?
No. It should accurately publish what is appropriate for external evaluation and establish when a condition requires direct validation.
Sources
- Gartner. “Gartner Survey Finds 69% of B2B Buyers Turn to Sales Reps to Validate AI-Generated Insights.” May 20, 2026. Survey of 645 B2B buyers conducted between August and September 2025. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-05-20-gartner-survey-finds-sixty-nine-percent-of-b-two-b-buyers-turn-to-sales-reps-to-validate-ai-generated-insights