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

79% of global B2B buyers say AI search has changed research habits. Tim Sanders, Chief Innovation Officer at G2, oversees insights from 100+ million annual software buyers and has witnessed enterprise research shift from 29% to 50% starting searches on AI chatbots in just four months. Sanders reveals why buyers moved from “reference to inference” workflows, how G2 captures 60% of AI citations through verified review data, and the critical difference between calendar age versus cognitive age in modern buyer journeys.