More B2B buyers are turning to tools like ChatGPT and Gemini for quick answers, but many don’t trust what those tools tell them. According to research released today at the Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference, 70% of B2B buyers prefer a digital, self-service buying experience, and nearly half use generative AI tools to research vendors and products.
The challenge for marketers is that buyers are running into misinformation along the way. More than half say they have gotten misleading information from AI tools, and 69% rely on sales reps to validate what they found.
That changes the role of sales and marketing in a big way. Buyers can pull up product details and feature lists on their own, but they still want reassurance from real people before making a decision.
Why trust matters more in AI search
As AI becomes a larger part of the buying journey, marketers need to make sure AI systems are surfacing accurate and trustworthy information. It also means marketers need stronger credibility signals across their content and digital presence.
Analyst reports, customer stories, third-party reviews, and detailed case studies all become more valuable in this environment. Buyers want proof that the information they are seeing is accurate and backed by real experience.
This shift also changes what sales enablement content should look like. Gartner predicts that by 2027, 95% of sellers’ research workflows will begin with AI. Buyers do not need another PDF packed with specs they can already find online.
What they still need is help understanding business impact, internal tradeoffs, and risk. Those conversations still lean heavily on human experience and judgment.
Human sellers still stand out
The Gartner data shows that human reps continue to outperform AI in key parts of the buying process. Buyers said sales reps were far better at understanding their needs, building confidence, and helping move decisions forward.
That gives marketers an opportunity to rethink how they support sales teams. Instead of creating more generic product collateral, marketers can focus on tools that help reps tell stronger stories and connect solutions to business outcomes.
AI can handle research, summarize information, and quickly surface signals, but buyers still want human guidance when purchases get complex. They want someone who can explain trade-offs, understand company dynamics, and help build internal consensus.
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At the same time, AI is raising expectations around personalization. Buyers expect vendors to understand their business before the first conversation, which puts greater pressure on marketing and sales to stay aligned.
AI is changing how buyers gather information, but it is also making trust more important. The marketers who win in this environment will be those who help buyers feel confident, informed, and understood throughout the decision process.
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