AI use is mainstream, AI buying isn't yet. Plan for both

Every few months a new data point arrives suggesting either that search is dead or that AI is overhyped. The more useful reading of the latest research is less dramatic: people have adopted AI tools quickly, but they haven't yet moved their buying decisions there.

What's happening

Marketing Brew reports on a VML study of 28,000 consumers across 17 countries, including Australia, surveyed in May and June 2026. The figures are global, not Australian-specific.

According to the report, 82% of global consumers now use AI, up from 68% the year before. ChatGPT was the most used platform at 48%, followed by Google Gemini at 37%. Habit was the most commonly cited reason for choosing one assistant over another, ahead of speed and accuracy. The top use was answering general knowledge questions.

Yet the shopping journey hasn't shifted at the same pace. VML found AI engines made up 3.7% of the inspiration stage, 3.6% of the search stage and 2.7% of the purchase stage. Search engines came out ahead at each of the first two stages. The report argued the window to influence which platforms people default to is "narrowing fast".

The study also found heightened financial anxiety and price sensitivity among consumers.

What it means for marketers

This is consumer research, so B2B teams should apply it carefully. But a few lessons carry across to technology buyers and to the consumer brands we work with.

AI is where questions start. The top use case is getting answers. In B2B, that's exactly how early research begins: "what's the difference between X and Y", "how do I fix Z". If your expertise isn't visible in those answers, you're missing the first conversation.

Search still carries the journey. Cutting SEO to fund AI visibility would be a mistake on these numbers. Structured, well-ranked content also tends to be the content AI tools draw on, so the two programmes reinforce each other.

Defaults are forming now. Because habit drives which assistant people use, the platforms buyers rely on will settle over the next year or two. Being well represented across ChatGPT, Gemini and, for Microsoft-centric organisations, Copilot is worth doing early.

Value matters more under pressure. Price-sensitive buyers, whether consumers or CFOs, want proof. Clear pricing logic, ROI evidence and customer outcomes deserve a prominent place in your content.

How to put it to work

1. Keep your SEO fundamentals funded. Maintain technical health, rankings for core service terms and fresh content on your highest-value pages.
2. Add an AEO layer. Write direct, self-contained answers to the questions buyers ask, using question-style headings and FAQs.
3. Test your visibility across assistants. Run your top 20 buyer questions through ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Google's AI results each quarter, and track whether you're mentioned.
4. Prioritise questions over keywords. Use sales calls, support tickets and community forums to find how people actually phrase their problems.
5. Lead with proof. Put outcomes, case studies and pricing guidance where both people and AI tools can find them.
6. Don't rebuild everything for AI shopping yet. For most brands, agent-led purchasing is still small. Watch it, but invest where demand sits today.

Consumer brands will feel the shopping shift first, but B2B buyers' research habits are moving in the same direction.

How UBE Marketing can help

UBE Marketing, the Sydney marketing agency founded by Alvin Paronda, works with brands on being found wherever their customers search, including AI assistants. We help brands build visibility across search and AI assistants, combining SEO, AEO and content strategy into one plan. Explore our AI marketing services or contact us for a visibility check.