Economic volatility, growing reliance on generative artificial intelligence (AI) for research, and heightened scrutiny of return on investment are reshaping how companies make purchasing decisions, according to new research from Forrester.
In its report, The State of Business Buying, 2026, Forrester draws on findings from its 2025 Buyers’ Journey Survey to show that B2B buying has become more collaborative, more risk-sensitive and more dependent on validation from trusted sources. B2B buyers are using generative AI tools as a starting point for research but are increasingly turning to peers, experts and providers themselves to confirm what those tools produce.
The result is a buying process that involves larger groups of stakeholders, earlier and deeper involvement from procurement, and a growing reliance on trials to reduce risk before making a purchase.
Forrester identifies three primary forces driving changes in buying behavior:
- Economic and geopolitical uncertainty
- Rapid adoption of generative AI
- Intensified scrutiny of business value
What Forrester has learned about AI in B2B buying
In Forrester’s Business Risk Survey, 2025, respondents ranked economic uncertainty and trade wars among the top systemic risks facing organizations, alongside concerns about data integrity. Slower global growth, persistent inflation, elevated interest rates and supply chain disruption tied to trade fragmentation are forcing organizations to prioritize resilience and operational efficiency.
As a result, buyers are tightening budgets and closely examining both new purchases and renewals. For renewals and add-on purchases, increasing efficiency and productivity are stronger drivers than they are for first-time buys, according to the report.
When Forrester first added generative AI as a research option in 2024, it immediately became one of the most frequently cited tools buyers used. In the 2025 survey, generative AI tools were the single most cited meaningful interaction type for researching purchases.
At the same time, buyers expressed skepticism about the accuracy of AI-generated information.
36% of respondents said they felt more confident they made a better-informed decision because they used generative AI. However, 20% said they were less confident because they encountered unreliable or inaccurate information.
That mistrust is reshaping how buyers behave. AI tools are used for speed and efficiency, but buyers increasingly validate findings through what Forrester calls the “buying network” — a mix of internal stakeholders and external sources such as:
- Industry experts
- Peers
- Analysts
- Providers
When asked what primarily triggers engagement with providers, respondents more often cited interactions with industry experts than information from AI tools.
Who is making B2B buying decisions in 2026?
Forrester’s data shows that buying groups are larger than in prior years.
On average, 13 internal stakeholders and nine external participants influence a B2B purchase decision. For more complex or strategic purchases, the number increases.
Some purchases include generative AI features, which often require additional evaluation and cross-functional input. When they do, the buying group doubles in size compared with purchases that do not include such features.
Among respondents with six or more internal participants in their buying group, 94% said larger groups delivered clear benefits. Those included:
- Broader perspectives
- Shared effort in validating solutions
- Reduced risk of poor decisions
- A greater likelihood of securing budget approval
Fewer than half cited increased complexity or slower decision-making as significant drawbacks.
The report also documents a shift in procurement’s role.
C-suite leaders remain the most likely to identify as decision-makers, cited by 68% of respondents. Procurement professionals, however, were identified as decision-makers by 53% of respondents and are involved from the earliest stages of the buying cycle rather than only at the end.
Procurement professionals also seek more information beyond price and are more likely to interact directly with sales representatives. They are also more likely than other buyers to report negative experiences with AI-generated information. 28% of procurement respondents said they felt less confident in a decision because of inaccurate AI output, compared with 19% of all buyers. 22% said they wasted time because of poor AI information, compared with 17% overall.
Testing before making a purchase
More than 60% of respondents said they engaged in some form of trial before committing to a full purchase. These trials range from limited free pilots to paid sandbox environments and usage-based trial periods.
The likelihood of engaging in a trial increase with the size and cost of the purchase. Technology decision-makers, especially those embedded in business units, are particularly likely to rely on trials to evaluate how solutions will work in real-world conditions.
However, trials do not guarantee loyalty to the original provider. 36% of buyers said they plan to convert to a fully paid version from the same provider after a trial. Meanwhile, 35% said they plan to convert with a different provider. Another 10% said they plan to begin a new trial of the same solution with a different vendor.
Forrester concludes that providers must adapt their go-to-market strategies to align with these shifts in buying behavior.
Providers must clearly demonstrate business value and return on investment through messaging tailored to specific industries and buyer roles. Content must be credible and discoverable in environments increasingly dominated by AI-driven search tools.
Providers must also engage intentionally with the buyer’s extended network, including partners, analysts, and industry voices that influence decision-making.
Finally, trials must be designed as strategic conversion tools rather than simple product previews. That includes tailoring trial environments to real-world use cases, providing guided onboarding, defining success metrics and maintaining strong follow-up engagement after the trial ends.
Forrester’s findings depict a B2B buyer who is more cautious, more collaborative and more demanding than in prior years. Buyers are embracing generative AI for research but do not trust it enough to rely on it alone. They are expanding buying groups to reduce risk, involving procurement earlier and insisting on trials to validate value before committing.
In this environment, providers that reduce friction, simplify decision-making, and demonstrate a deep understanding of buyer needs are more likely to earn trust and long-term relationships.
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