Forrester says AI will shape 75% of B2B buys by 2027

AI agents will influence 75% of B2B purchase decisions by 2027, according to Forrester, which says the shift will change how providers present information and engage with buyers.

In its latest B2B go-to-market predictions, the research group says business buyers will use AI agents throughout the purchasing process, including for supplier discovery, information gathering and contract-renewal analysis. Fully autonomous buying is still likely to remain limited to high-volume, low-risk and repeatable purchases.

The forecast points to a more complex sales environment rather than a purely automated one. As AI tools become a more common interface for product and supplier research, buyers are expected to seek more direct contact with people to check the accuracy and reliability of machine-generated recommendations.

Forrester expects buyers to double their human interactions to validate AI-generated recommendations. Those conversations are likely to involve provider teams as well as third parties such as analysts, customer references and partners.

AI systems still cannot fully assess questions such as service-provider fit, feasibility, trust or accountability, the group argues. That gap will keep human judgment in the buying process even as software takes on a bigger role in shortlisting suppliers and reviewing claims.

Claims under scrutiny

Another finding is that providers face a growing risk of losing business if their claims cannot be easily checked by AI-assisted research tools. Forrester says two-thirds of providers will lose deals because buyers will not be able to verify what vendors say about their products or services.

That reflects a change in how buyers gather evidence. AI-assisted search and analysis tools are already being used to collect information on suppliers, compare vendors' statements and test whether those claims stand up to scrutiny.

According to the report, this will force go-to-market teams to rethink how their information is published and structured. Providers will need content that AI systems can find, index and compare, along with proof points that are consistent and credible across channels.

The warning comes as businesses across sales and marketing adapt to a buying process in which software increasingly mediates early-stage research. In that setting, incomplete, inconsistent or weakly supported claims may become more visible because AI tools can cross-check information at scale.

Marketing pressure

Forrester also says many marketing leaders are likely to overestimate the productivity gains available from AI. It forecasts that most Chief Marketing Officers will either cut programmes or accept reduced capacity after expecting efficiencies that do not fully materialise.

The research group says marketing leaders may remove as many as 25% of roles in anticipation of gains that fail to match expectations. If that happens, companies will be forced either to reduce programme budgets to rebuild capacity through rehiring, contractors or agency support, or to operate with smaller teams and lower output.

Either route would weaken marketing's contribution, according to the forecast. Lower campaign investment, weaker execution, or both would reduce the function's overall value to the business.

The predictions add to a broader debate over whether AI will trim headcount faster than it improves results. In B2B marketing, where campaigns often depend on coordination across content, channels, data and sales support, any reduction in staffing can quickly affect delivery.

Forrester's view suggests the issue is not simply whether AI can replace routine work, but whether organisations can redesign teams and workflows without undermining execution. That challenge appears especially acute in areas where credibility, consistency and close coordination matter.

A separate tension runs through the findings. While AI may speed up research and narrow options, buyers may also become more cautious as more content, recommendations and outreach are generated by machines.

That could make trust a more valuable factor in supplier selection. If buyers are confronted with synthetic content and automated claims at scale, they may place greater weight on evidence they can verify and on conversations with people who can answer for the product or service.

For providers, this increases pressure on both systems and staff. Sales teams may need to respond more quickly and consistently to buyers whose early research has already been shaped by AI tools, while marketing teams may need to ensure information can be interpreted accurately by those same systems.

"In 2027, the defining challenge for B2B go-to-market leaders will be to make deliberate choices about what to automate and where human judgment still matters," said Sharyn Leaver, Chief Research Officer at Forrester. "As AI becomes ubiquitous across the buying process, B2B leaders that pair AI-driven speed and convenience with transparency, control, and trust will extract the most value from AI."