Supplier research now includes GenAI
The B2B buying process has never depended on a single source.
Buyers consult websites, referrals, documentation, conversations, directories, search engines, and other resources before deciding which suppliers deserve further evaluation.
Gartner’s survey adds another 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.
That means a supplier can enter an evaluation before it receives a site visit, form submission, or email.
A buyer can request comparisons, investigate capabilities, or try to understand the differences among suppliers without any of them knowing the opportunity exists.
AI does not remove the need for validation
The same study makes an overly simple conclusion difficult to defend.
Even as buyers use more digital channels and GenAI, 69% prefer to validate AI-generated insights with sales representatives.
The reason is practical. A generated answer can organize information, but a B2B purchase involves context, conditions, exceptions, and responsibilities that are not always public.
A buyer may use AI to understand which suppliers appear relevant and then turn to a person to confirm:
- actual capacity;
- availability;
- pricing;
- compliance;
- lead times;
- specifications;
- contractual terms;
- additional evidence.
The seller does not disappear. The seller meets a buyer who may arrive with substantially more research already completed.
The first evaluation happens with the information that is available
For an industrial supplier, this shift increases the value of a clear information foundation.
A tool cannot confirm what a company never published, or reconcile information that its own sources describe inconsistently.
That does not mean the organization should publish confidential information.
It means the information intended for external evaluation should answer basic questions without forcing the buyer to reconstruct the company from fragments:
- what the company manufactures or does;
- which industries it serves;
- where it operates;
- which certifications or standards apply;
- which markets it serves;
- which capabilities are documented;
- which information requires direct confirmation.
Faster research raises the cost of ambiguity
Gartner also reported an important tension: 51% of buyers believe misleading information is more likely to come from GenAI, while 49% attribute that risk to a sales representative.
That 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 substantiate, and what a sales representative will later confirm.
When the website, profiles, documents, and human conversation begin from compatible facts, validation becomes easier.
When each source tells a different version of the company, AI can make an inconsistency that already existed more visible.
B2B selling is becoming more hybrid
The evidence points toward a buying process in which digital channels, AI, and people play different roles.
Technology supports self-service and research.
The seller contributes 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, accurate enough to be confirmed and expanded.
A company does not control the shortlist a buyer builds. It does control how well it can substantiate the public information that participates in that evaluation.
Platonica Perspective
Platonica’s perspective is that AI in procurement increases the value of information available before contact because it accelerates research without removing validation. A company cannot control an AI system’s answer, but it can reduce contradictions in the sources used during evaluation; this analysis details the information suppliers need.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI replacing B2B sales representatives?
The cited evidence does not support that conclusion. Gartner found growing use of GenAI and self-service channels, but also a strong preference for validating AI-generated insights with sales representatives.
What percentage of B2B buyers used GenAI?
In Gartner’s survey of 645 B2B buyers, 45% said they had used GenAI during a recent purchase, primarily to gather information about suppliers and products.
Why does website information still matter?
Because it is one of the sources buyers and systems can use to understand a company. It should remain consistent with profiles, documents, and the information sales will later confirm.
Should a company publish every capability and specification?
No. It should publish accurately what is appropriate for external evaluation and make clear when a condition or specification requires direct validation.
Sources and documentation
- 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