The New Supply Chain Battle: AI Discoverability

Reports of an increase in AI adoption among B2B buyers could represent a fundamental change in how suppliers and marketers must approach visibility and trust-building.

Research from PR agency Magenta Associates has revealed that 66% of UK senior decision-makers with B2B purchasing responsibility now use tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Perplexity to find and assess potential suppliers, creating urgent implications for those seeking to reach these buyers.

According to the study of 300 UK senior decision-makers, 90% of those using AI tools trust the recommendations they receive, while 85% have discovered a new supplier through an AI-generated response. This level of trust in algorithmic recommendations could mean traditional marketing channels face declining relevance if suppliers fail to optimise for AI discoverability.

AI overtakes traditional channels

The data suggests AI has already eclipsed established B2B marketing channels in certain segments.

According to Magenta Associates, 45% of decision-makers now use AI as one of their main B2B supplier research channels, positioning it ahead of LinkedIn at 41% and industry publications at 34%. For marketers who have invested heavily in these traditional platforms, this change could require rapid reallocation of resources and strategy.

However, the research also indicates that AI tools may function as a discovery layer rather than a replacement for direct engagement.

A combined 83% of users report they "always" (40%) or "often" (43%) still visit the original websites mentioned in AI responses, even when conducting initial research through AI platforms. This behaviour could suggest suppliers need dual-optimised content strategies that perform both in AI recommendation algorithms and on their own digital properties.

The visibility challenge 

The competitive implications appear particularly stark when considering AI's concentration of recommendations.

According to the research, only five brands are cited across 80% of top AI-agent responses for any given B2B category. This could mean visibility becomes binary for suppliers: brands are either recommended by AI systems or rendered effectively invisible to a growing segment of buyers.

"The buyer journey has fundamentally changed," says Jo Sutherland, Managing Director at Magenta Associates.

"Increasingly, AI is now the place where decisions begin. Marketers who understand how to create content discoverable and trustworthy enough to be surfaced by AI will have a clear competitive edge."

Traditional search engine optimisation rankings may offer diminishing returns in this environment.

Gartner predicts traditional search engine volume will plummet 25% by 2026 as AI chatbots replace conventional queries, while ChatGPT search traffic alone grew 85% between January and June 2025.

Transparency and demographic considerations

The research highlights specific content requirements that could influence AI recommendation likelihood.

According to Magenta Associates, 71% of decision-makers say they would avoid suppliers that lack clear, transparent information, while 69% would do so due to negative reviews. For B2B marketers, this could indicate AI systems may prioritise or surface content demonstrating transparency and positive validation.

Demographic patterns in the data could also inform targeting strategies. Younger buyers are leading adoption, with 85% of 25 to 34-year-olds using AI tools for supplier research, compared with 33% of 45 to 54-year-olds and 23% of 55 to 64-year-olds. Suppliers targeting younger decision-makers may need to prioritise AI optimisation more urgently than those serving older demographics.

"AI is a co-pilot, not an autopilot," adds Oluwatobi Folasade Balogun, CEO of SustainWyse.

"It's changing how people find and trust brands but it still needs human judgement to ensure quality tone and ethics."

The report also warns that AI's rise brings new pressures around accuracy, transparency and sustainability claims for B2B suppliers.