AI search, trust and brand discovery study

We are Talker conducted a survey of 1,000 active AI users through Talker Research to explore how consumers engage with AI-generated answers, how those answers influence brand discovery and decision-making, and the role trust plays in AI-mediated search experiences.

The results demonstrate rising usage and trust levels in those already using AI, while evidencing the changing ways consumers engage with brands.

The data illustrates the importance for organizations not only in being discoverable in AI search but also the necessity of being a credible and authoritative source of information. 

• 45% have discovered a brand or service for the first time through an AI-generated answer, rising to 59% among Gen Z. 
• 58% say a brand cited as a source in an AI answer appears more trustworthy than one that is not mentioned. 
• Faced with two brands offering similar products or services, audiences are more likely to trust the brand referenced in an AI-generated answer (34%) than the one that is not (24%).
• 64% say their trust in AI has increased over the last 12 months, including 28% who say it has increased a lot.
• Only 8% say their trust has declined.
• Nearly two-thirds (63%) say they are more likely to engage with brands they see referenced repeatedly across multiple AI-generated answers.
• Six in ten (60%) agree AI answers directly influence their decisions, rising sharply to 75% among Gen Z and falling to 46% among Baby Boomers.
• Six in ten (60%) always or often pay attention to the sources referenced in AI-generated responses.
• Two-thirds (66%) of respondents say they are using AI tools more than they were a year ago, with younger audiences showing the fastest growth.

Tim Haslam, CEO of Talker, shares his perspective on what these findings may mean for brands, PR teams and marketers navigating the growing influence of AI-generated search and discovery.  

“Widespread coverage and truly earned media will always be integral to any brand campaign, perhaps even more so with the advances of AI.

But instead of aiming for surges of coverage that spike around particular campaigns or activities, brands must establish themselves as a constant, credible authority.

This is fast becoming essential for AI discovery and brands should concentrate their efforts on becoming a repeated primary source.

That doesn’t mean being the loudest, but it does mean regular authoritative content structured so AI systems can properly understand it and validated by credible third parties in a way that compounds over time.”

Talker Research surveyed 1,000 Americans who are active AI users (defined as simply as someone who uses the AI overview in Google when they search for something). The survey was administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Apr. 17 and Apr. 27, 2026. 

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research process and methodology page.