Thursday, 25 June 2026 09:35 AM
Company Update
Mid-year update to Outlook 2026 reveals how B2B buyers are moving from AI experimentation into structured evaluation
BOCA RATON, FL / ACCESS Newswire / June 25, 2026 / INFUSE, a global demand generation leader, released Voice of the Buyer AI Research Reality Check: From Hype to Proof, the mid-year update to its Outlook 2026 research series. The report synthesizes responses from 310 enterprise business and technology professionals across 18 countries and 15 industries.
Six months after the original INFUSE Voice of the Buyer 2026 study identified the Trust Gap as the defining condition of modern B2B buying, the mid-year findings track how the evaluation of AI solutions has continued to evolve.
Report reveals a shift from AI hype to disciplined evaluation
The new INFUSE Voice of the Buyer AI research identifies a clear inflection point in B2B AI buying: the early period of experimentation (2024 - 2025) has given way in H2 2026 to structured evaluation against proven outcomes. Buyers are scrutinizing every vendor in their stack, weighing the cost of new AI solutions against the AI capabilities embedded in their current platforms.
The result places AI-first trailblazers and established vendors on the same battleground, with legacy vendors still benefiting from long-standing trust when integrating AI into known solutions.
"The first wave of AI buying was driven by fear of missing out. The second is driven by the discipline of business cases. Buyers are still moving, but they are moving on their terms, with proof of outcomes as the price of entry." - Alexander Kesler, Founder & CEO, INFUSE
Buyer priorities have moved from claims to proof
The mid-year findings show 61% of B2B buyers consolidating their SaaS stack because of AI, with established vendors outdrawing AI-native entrants by a five-to-one margin. Proven integration with the existing tech stack has emerged as the dominant evaluation criterion, replacing brand familiarity and roadmap as the leading proof point. Vendors that lead with feature depth before establishing integration credibility are losing evaluations before features are even discussed.
"Buyers are still asking what your AI does. What has changed is what counts as an answer. They want a technical description that gets approval from the engineer in the room, not a brand statement. The CMOs winning this cycle are the ones marketing the integration and outcomes, not the AI." - Victoria Albert, CMO, INFUSE
Three themes shape AI vendor evaluation in 2026
The report delivers actionable guidance across three research themes defining the influence of AI on B2B buyer behavior.
Stack scrutiny: AI is forcing every recurring contract to re-justify its place in the buyer's tech stack. SaaS consolidation is accelerating, established vendors are winning the preference battle, and AI-native vendors face a higher bar to displace incumbents.
Integration and transparency: Proven integration with the existing stack has become the new shortlist test. Measurable outcomes and honest answers on AI behavior have replaced brand and roadmap as the credible proof tier, with vendors leading on capability claims losing evaluations before features are demonstrated.
Augmentation over transformation: AI is changing the speed of B2B buying decisions, not the structure. Buying groups still expand, cycles still require consensus, and individual readiness is running ahead of organizational readiness.
Access the full update
The complete Voice of the Buyer AI Research Reality Check: From Hype to Proof is available alongside the acclaimed Voice of the Buyer 2026 and Voice of the Marketer 2026 research on the Outlook 2026 hub.
About INFUSE
Demand Excellence Delivered
We are INFUSE, a global B2B demand and revenue marketing performance company.
At the heart of INFUSE is a demand engine powered by data: first-party buying groups, deep intent signals, and exclusive competitor and market intelligence insights. This AI-driven demand engine ensures precision targeting across in-market buyer and account profiles to drive qualified interest. Omnichannel outreach and INFUSE-exclusive marketing programs identify and engage prospective buying groups throughout their journey.
Press
Victoria Albert, CMO, INFUSE, [email protected]
SOURCE: INFUSE