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AI search is reshaping how consumers discover, compare, and evaluate brands online.
CMOs are expanding beyond traditional SEO toward generative and agentic search strategies.
AI-driven customer journeys are increasing the importance of brand authority and accuracy.
The way consumers discover and evaluate brands is changing as generative AI, large language models, and AI agents become part of the search and buying journey. This shift creates a new challenge for chief marketing officers (CMOs). They struggle to stay visible as customers increasingly rely on AI systems to interpret information, compare products, and make decisions.
According to Boston Consulting Group’s 2026 global survey of 300 CMOs, 96% said AI is driving an end-to-end transformation of their marketing function. However, 42% said they were still using generative AI mainly to assist humans with individual tasks in a handful of workflows. Only 8% reported running campaigns in which multiple AI agents operate autonomously.
The shift is extending beyond content creation and marketing automation. BCG found that 90% of surveyed CMOs agreed that generative AI is already reshaping how consumers discover and evaluate brands. AI assistants and recommendation engines can now interpret queries, summarise information, and present options before consumers visit a brand’s website.
This creates a different environment for marketers. Brands no longer have complete control over how they are presented during discovery. If an AI system does not surface a product or service, the brand may lose visibility even with strong conventional search rankings or significant media spending, according to BCG.
The change is also affecting the traditional customer funnel. BCG reported that 91% of B2C CMOs and 76% of B2B CMOs said AI-moderated, no-click discovery is reshaping their already nonlinear funnels.
Traditional search engine optimization remains relevant, but marketers are increasingly looking at additional ways to make their brands discoverable within AI-generated responses.
This has led to growing attention around Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). The focus is not only on ranking webpages but also on ensuring that AI systems can understand and surface information about a company, product, or service.
This requires clear, authoritative, context-rich content, along with reliable product information and a consistent presence across relevant digital platforms. BCG has described agentic engine optimization as an emerging discipline alongside search and paid-media optimization.
CMOs must now measure visibility more broadly. Website traffic and keyword rankings remain important, but they also need to understand how frequently their brands are mentioned, recommended, or represented in AI-generated answers.
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Generative search primarily changes how consumers receive information. Agentic AI could go further by helping consumers evaluate options, make decisions, and eventually complete actions.
BCG describes this development as part of the emergence of agentic commerce, where AI agents become active participants in the customer journey from intent to purchase. Consumers can give AI systems goals, preferences, and requirements rather than relying only on short keyword searches.
BCG also reported that Google data on AI Mode shows queries are now three times longer than traditional searches, with decision-oriented phrases such as ‘which one’ and ‘which of’ among the fastest-growing query types.
The implication is significant for marketers. AI systems can become another layer between brands and customers, influencing which products consumers consider before interacting directly with the company.
The transformation is also changing marketing leaders' responsibilities. BCG said roughly half of surveyed CMOs reported that marketing now leads AI investment decisions within their functions. In contrast, 94% said CEO expectations of marketing had increased significantly over the past two years.
Investment is rising as well. 43% of surveyed CMOs said their companies’ AI investments in marketing exceeded USD 15 million this year, compared with 28% last year.
However, technology alone is not enough. Around 80% of CMOs reported making significant investments in AI-specific upskilling, while a similar proportion added responsible AI and ethics training.
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AI-mediated discovery also places greater importance on the consistency between what brands promise and what customers experience. AI systems can aggregate reviews, complaints, service interactions, and other information when evaluating brands.
This means marketers have to consider more than campaigns and messaging. Customer experience, product performance, and public information can all influence how AI systems represent a brand.
The emerging AI-search environment therefore does not simply replace traditional SEO. Instead, it expands the scope of digital visibility. The bigger challenge for CMOs is ensuring brands can be discovered, accurately represented, and meaningfully evaluated across both conventional search and AI-mediated customer journeys.
What is AI search in marketing?
AI search uses generative systems to understand queries, summarise information, and help consumers discover brands, products, and services.
How is generative search changing SEO?
Generative search shifts attention beyond rankings toward authoritative content, brand mentions, citations, structured information, and visibility within AI-generated answers.
What is agentic search?
Agentic search uses AI agents to understand goals, evaluate options, make recommendations, and potentially complete actions for consumers.
Why should CMOs focus on AI search strategies?
AI search is changing customer discovery, requiring CMOs to track AI visibility alongside traditional search traffic, rankings, and conversions.
Will traditional SEO become irrelevant because of AI search?
No. Traditional SEO remains important, while marketers increasingly need additional strategies addressing generative answers, AI recommendations, and conversational discovery.
