Key Takeaways
Nearly all AI-using buyers check the answer. TrustRadius found that 94% of buyers who used AI fact-check its responses at least some of the time. 63% of buyers used AI in their purchase journey.
Buyers check because AI gets things wrong. G2 reports that 64% of software buyers hit AI inaccuracies weekly or more.
They check you first. After AI mentions a vendor, 71% visit its website, 63% search Google, and 38% check G2 or a similar site.
They trust other people over your marketing. TrustRadius found that demos, free trials, prior experience, and user reviews ranked as the most influential resources. 74% use reviews.
Make yourself easy to verify. Pricing, reviews, peers, and consistent facts are what the check looks for.
The AI gave your buyer a name. Great. But now more than ever the buyer wants to know if the AI is right, and if you are legit.
That check is becoming increasingly important in the buyer journey, yet we're finding that most B2B marketing ignores it.
So let's talk a bit about how often buyers do it, what they check against, whom they trust, and what to change so you pass.
Do B2B buyers really fact-check AI?
Yes. And they're doing it far more than you probably expect.
TrustRadius's 2026 B2B Buying Disconnect Report surveyed 1,862 technology buyers and 444 vendors in January 2026.
63% of buyers used AI during their purchase journey. Of those, 94% said they fact-check its responses at least some of the time.
"At least some of the time" is a low bar, and the 94% applies only to buyers who used AI.
Another write-up from the same publisher gives an even stronger number: 72% say they verify AI outputs always or very often, up from 58%.
It also reports that 60% trust AI "sometimes," 20% "very often," and 2% "always." That write-up doesn't state the base for each percentage.
The picture is consistent. Buyers use AI and don't take its word for it. G2 reports that 64% of software buyers hit AI inaccuracies weekly or more, so the habit makes sense.
What do buyers check AI answers against?
Your website, Google, and review sites. Semrush asked what buyers do after AI mentions a vendor:
- 71% visit the vendor's website
- 63% search Google
- 46% compare alternatives
- 41% ask the AI follow-up questions
- 38% check G2 or a similar site
- 14% ask colleagues
The AI answer starts the buyer's research. The checks decide whether you stay on the list.
That list is short: 83% of buyers shortlisted three or fewer products. If you're not sure you're in the running, read how do buyers build a vendor shortlist with AI, and how do you get on it?
The Verification Journey
What happens after the AI names you?
Getting recommended is only the first step. Buyers look for proof before deciding which vendor stays on the shortlist.
The AI names you
The buyer asks for vendors. You're in the answer, or you aren't.
The buyer checks
71% visit your site, 63% search Google, and 38% check G2 or a similar site (Semrush).
Other people weigh in
Reviews, peers, demos, and trials rank among the most influential resources (TrustRadius).
The buyer decides
83% shortlisted three or fewer products (TrustRadius).
Sources: Semrush (n=519 US B2B professionals who use AI at work, March to April 2026); TrustRadius via HG Insights (1,862 technology buyers, January 2026).
Whom do buyers trust?
Other people, and their own hands-on experience. TrustRadius reports that buyers ranked product demos, free trials, prior experience, and user reviews as the most influential resources. Here is what else it found:
- 74% of buyers use reviews to inform their purchase decisions.
- 53% spoke with a peer, and the write-up says every one of them found it at least somewhat helpful.
- Review-site use rose from 58% in 2025 to 63% in 2026.
- 13% of buyers used analyst reports to make purchase decisions.
- Vendor marketing collateral ranked last among the resources buyers consult.
G2 points the same way. 45% of software buyers say a review-site citation is the most confidence-inspiring signal in an AI answer.
What Buyers Trust
What technology buyers lean on when they decide
Reported use of different research resources. Each figure was reported separately; the companion write-up does not state the base for every percentage.
Sources: TrustRadius 2026 B2B Buying Disconnect Report via HG Insights; HG Insights companion write-up. TrustRadius sells review and buyer-intent products.
The pattern is simple:
- What you say about yourself carries the least weight.
- What customers, peers, and hands-on trials say about you carries the most.
TrustRadius also reports that AI recommendations are heavily influenced by third-party content, such as customer reviews, independent publications, and peer experiences.
That's the report's own statement and not a measured share. It still points at the same thing: the proof that matters is the proof you don't write yourself.
What does that mean for your brand?
Make yourself easy to verify. Eight moves, in the order we'd do them.
Search yourself like a buyer
Search your brand name, then your category. Open your own site cold. Can a stranger tell what you do, who it's for, and what it costs in the first scroll?
Show pricing or pricing context
Transparent pricing has been buyers' top wish-list item for four years running. If you can't publish prices, publish ranges, what drives cost, or a worked example.
Make demos and trials easy to find
They rank among the most influential resources. Put the link where the buyer's check lands: your homepage and your service pages.
Keep your reviews current
Claim your profiles on the review sites your buyers use. Ask recent customers for reviews, and reply to the ones you get.
Give prospects peers to talk to
Set up a customer reference list or a user community. A buyer who can talk to someone like them skips a lot of doubt.
Make your claims checkable
Name the source for every statistic on your own pages, and link it. A buyer checking a claim shouldn't have to hunt. The full list of page changes is in how do you get recommended by AI? A practical GEO checklist.
Make your facts match everywhere
If your site, your profiles, and your press boilerplate disagree, the check fails. See what ChatGPT says about your business when you aren't looking for what mismatches look like.
Fix what AI gets wrong at the source
If an AI answer repeats an old price or a retired feature, find the page it's reading and correct it there.
Moves 1 to 3 are our own advice, based on what buyers report checking. Moves 4 and 5 follow the report's findings on reviews and peers. None of this guarantees a recommendation, and the engines change.
How does this fit with the rest of the buyer journey?
Buyers start with AI, check what it says, and shortlist a few vendors. You earn your place by being named and then by passing the check. Marketing Truth #4: The Cited Get the Business puts it in one line.
Explore the complete AI buyer journey series
- Where do B2B buyers start their research now? (Hint: it's not Google)
- How do buyers build a vendor shortlist with AI, and how do you get on it?
- What happens to your website traffic when AI answers the question first?
- Do AI-referred visitors convert better than Google visitors? What the data shows
- How do you get recommended by AI? A practical GEO checklist
This is the work Today's Media Agency does. We help B2B tech companies get recommended in AI answers, and hold up when buyers check them, with our own proprietary tools, built by a team of experts who have been in this market a long time.
Want to know if you'd pass the check?
Start with the Free AI Visibility Audit. We check how ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and Grok describe your brand today, so you can see what a buyer sees.
Want help closing the gaps? Book a strategy call and we'll map what to fix first.
AI Visibility Audit
Would your brand pass the AI fact-check?
See how major AI platforms describe your business, whether their information is accurate, and which competitors appear alongside you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do B2B buyers fact-check AI answers?
Most of them do. TrustRadius found that 94% of buyers who used AI said they fact-check its responses at least some of the time. 63% of buyers used AI in their purchase journey, so the 94% applies to that group. A companion write-up reports that 72% verify AI outputs always or very often.
What do buyers trust more than AI answers?
Other people and hands-on experience. TrustRadius found that buyers ranked product demos, free trials, prior experience, and user reviews as the most influential resources. 74% of buyers use reviews to inform purchases, and 53% spoke with a peer.
Do buyers trust vendor websites?
Less than other sources, but they still visit them. TrustRadius's companion write-up says vendor marketing collateral ranked last among resources buyers consult. Semrush found that 71% of buyers visit a vendor's website after AI mentions it. They go to check, so the site has to answer the questions a buyer would verify.
Why do buyers fact-check AI?
Because it makes mistakes, and they notice. G2 reports that 64% of software buyers hit AI inaccuracies weekly or more.
How can I make my brand easier to verify?
Publish pricing or pricing context, make demos and trials easy to find, keep review profiles current, give prospects peers to talk to, link sources for your claims, and keep your facts identical everywhere AI can read them. TrustRadius reports that transparent pricing has topped buyers' wish list for four years running.
Do analyst reports still matter?
For fewer buyers than they once did. TrustRadius reports that 13% of buyers used analyst reports to make purchase decisions.
Research and further reading
Sources
- HG Insights — TrustRadius 2026 B2B Buying Disconnect Report (July 15, 2026)
- HG Insights — Trust More, Verify Everything: What the 2026 B2B Buying Disconnect Report Says
- G2 — Your Buyers Are Using AI to Find Software. Here's What They're Trusting (June 26, 2026)
- Semrush — How AI Tools Shape the B2B Buying Process (July 8, 2026)
Editorial Transparency
Who worked on this post
Three AI tools were used in the creation of this blog post to support research, drafting, editing, and optimization. Final direction, review, and publishing were completed by the Today’s Media team.