AI is becoming part of B2B vendor due diligence, not just discovery. More than half of buyers surveyed by the AI Revenue Institute said they had removed a vendor from consideration after AI identified a discrepancy between the company’s claims and its actual capabilities.
The finding suggests AI is taking on a larger role throughout the purchasing process, from evaluating shortlisted vendors and challenging recommendations to vetting alternatives during contract renewals. For MSPs and resellers, that could raise the stakes around how consistently they present their capabilities across sales pitches, websites, documentation, and customer references.
The AI Revenue Institute (AIRI), a newly launched research, media, and education company, surveyed 521 U.S. B2B purchasers and purchasing influencers at organizations with at least 50 employees. All respondents were actively involved in business purchases and using AI during the buying process.
AI is becoming a new layer of vendor due diligence
Perhaps the most consequential finding for the channel is how buyers are using AI after vendors make the shortlist.
Sixty-two percent of respondents said they use AI to fact-check sales claims against public sources when evaluating shortlisted vendors, products, or services. More than half, 56 percent, said they have removed a vendor from consideration after AI identified a discrepancy between its claims and actual capabilities.
For MSPs and resellers, that raises the stakes for consistency across sales pitches, websites, vendor documentation, customer references, and other information that AI systems can surface.
“Companies also have to hold up when buyers use AI to compare options, fact-check claims, review documentation and pressure-test recommendations,” said AIRI co-founder and Editor-in-Chief Khali Henderson.
That also means optimizing for AI-powered discovery may only solve part of the problem. Partners increasingly need to consider what an AI tool will tell a potential customer once the customer is already being evaluated.
AI could weaken the power of referral-driven sales
The findings could be particularly important for an industry in which relationships, referrals, and trusted-advisor status have traditionally carried significant weight.
AIRI found that 54 percent of respondents said a boss, senior executive, or buying committee member had used AI to evaluate or question their vendor recommendation.
That creates another layer of validation between an MSP or reseller and the ultimate buying decision. A strong customer relationship or internal champion may still get a provider into the conversation, but AI can give other stakeholders a relatively easy way to challenge that recommendation.
The trend arrives as MSPs are already being pushed toward a more consultative role. ScalePad CEO Chris Day recently told Channel Insider that SMB customers are moving forward with AI faster than many providers can operationalize it, while GoTo’s Mike Day has argued that partners increasingly need to demonstrate how customers can install, use, and extract business value from new technology.
Contract renewals may look more like new-business competitions
The research also suggests incumbency may offer less protection than it once did.
Ninety-one percent of respondents said they are likely or very likely to use AI during contract renewal to find or vet alternative vendors.
For recurring-revenue businesses such as MSPs, that could make renewal conversations increasingly resemble new-business competitions. Providers may need to continuously demonstrate measurable value rather than assume customer familiarity will translate into retention.
That reinforces a broader shift Channel Insider has seen across the market: MSPs are increasingly positioning themselves around strategic guidance, measurable outcomes, security, and specialized expertise as AI changes both what customers buy and how they evaluate providers.
AIRI’s findings ultimately suggest AI is becoming more than another tool MSPs can sell or deploy. It is also becoming part of the buyer on the other side of the table, and potentially changing the rules partners have traditionally relied on to win and retain business.