Survey 2026 on the Actual Use of AI Search in B2B Supplier Selection

Piftee Inc. (Headquarters: Kanagawa Prefecture, Representative Director: Hideya Fukuda, hereinafter Piftee) conducted the "Survey 2026 on the Actual Use of AI Search in B2B Supplier Selection" targeting 196 personnel involved in selecting B2B suppliers and subcontractors within the past year.

As AI search tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude become more widespread, changes are occurring in the B2B supplier selection process. However, there have been few surveys that directly capture how purchasing managers actually search, compare, and decide. Piftee, a specialist in SEO and AI search optimization, surveyed and analyzed the current state of B2B supplier selection from the buyer's perspective.

Survey Summary

- 75% of B2B purchasing managers have used generative AI search for supplier selection, with 22% using it daily. - Google search ranks first as the initial step in finding suppliers (48%), while generative AI search ranks fourth at about 10%, surpassing comparison sites and social media. - 82% of AI search users discovered companies or services they did not know before, and 21% of them actually placed orders or contracted with those companies. - 98% of AI search users performed some form of verification, with the most common being checking the company's official website (71%). - About 60% of respondents said they feel more trust in companies recommended by AI search, and 78% predict their use of AI search will increase in the future.

Detailed Survey Results

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