Forrester Predicts AI Will Influence Business Buying Decisions
AI is expected to play a significant role in business buying, but humans will retain control over key decisions. This shift may impact how companies approach sales and marketing.
Original reporting · forrester.com
Original: “Predictions 2027: AI Takes Over Business Buying, But Humans Retain Control”
Read “Predictions 2027: AI Takes Over Business Buying, But Humans Retain Control” at Forrester →
How this was written. Voyager Commercial wrote this article with a language model from Forrester’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from Forrester’s report
- AI is expected to play a significant role in business buying decisions, but humans will retain control over key decisions.
- Buyers will use AI to analyze options and gather information, but will rely on human experts to validate recommendations.
- Agentic buying will become more prevalent, with AI agents automating certain tasks in 75% of B2B purchases.
- Providers will need to demonstrate that their AI solutions can operate within a company's governance and control requirements.
- Buyers will increase their interactions with human experts to validate AI-generated recommendations.
Business buyers are increasingly using AI to inform their purchasing decisions, according to Forrester. This trend is expected to continue, with AI becoming more integrated into the buying process. However, buyers still want humans to be involved in making final decisions.
Forrester's research found that 82% of buyers have already encountered AI functionality in their purchasing process, whether they wanted it or not. As AI becomes more prevalent, buyers will likely become more discerning about its use, demanding clear value from AI-powered tools.
In the coming year, Forrester predicts that buyers will start to take greater control of AI in the purchasing process. They will use AI to analyze options and gather information, but will rely on human experts to validate recommendations and provide accountability.
One key prediction from Forrester is that agentic buying, which involves using AI agents to automate certain tasks, will play a role in 75% of B2B purchases. This may include tasks such as spend analysis and supplier discovery, but will not replace human judgment entirely.
Buyers will also increase their interactions with human experts to validate AI-generated recommendations, as they seek to determine whether a particular option is a good fit for their organization. This may involve consulting with product experts, customer references, and industry analysts.
The increased use of AI in the buying process may also lead to delays or blockages in enterprise AI software purchases, as risk reviews become more rigorous. Providers will need to be able to demonstrate that their AI solutions can operate within a company's governance and control requirements.
To succeed in this new landscape, providers will need to prepare to persuade both humans and machines. This will involve making product information accessible to AI systems, as well as strengthening the human network surrounding the purchase.
Questions and answers
What role will AI play in business buying decisions?
AI is expected to play a significant role in informing business buying decisions, but humans will retain control over key decisions.
How will buyers use AI in the purchasing process?
Buyers will use AI to analyze options and gather information, but will rely on human experts to validate recommendations and provide accountability.
What do providers need to do to succeed in this new landscape?
Providers will need to prepare to persuade both humans and machines, by making product information accessible to AI systems and strengthening the human network surrounding the purchase.
