G2 data: 1/2 of global software buyers now start search on AI chatbots instead of Google

The discussion centers on how AI search is reshaping B2B buyer behavior and rendering traditional SEO methods less effective. Tim Sanders, Chief Innovation Officer at G2, shares insights on how buyers are shifting from "reference" to "inference," relying on AI to synthesize information and generate shortlists of potential software solutions. A key point is the decreasing "hallucination rate" of AI, making it increasingly reliable for decision-making. G2 is leveraging AI to provide a verification layer, ensuring that AI-driven recommendations are trustworthy, and also incorporating benchmark data, including hallucination rates and tool call reliability, to aid buyers. The conversation emphasizes the importance of "answer-shaped" content and the need for marketers to adapt to this new era of AI-driven discovery.