Two B2B software statistics are making the rounds this year, and at first glance they can't both be right.
One says about half of software buyers now start their research in an AI chatbot. The other says 68% of buyers felt generative AI had no impact on how they bought.
Most vendors quote whichever one supports the plan they already had.
I think that's the wrong way to read them. Both numbers hold up, and the reason they both hold up is the most useful thing in this year's buyer research.
Short answer: AI now shapes the shortlist, early and mostly out of sight. Buyers still validate it on review sites and vendor pages, and those are the channels they credit when asked.
The full set of numbers, each with its source and scope, is in RankControl's B2B AI search statistics roundup.