Dean Harris.
Generative AI has crossed a critical threshold, with new research showing it’s no longer just a curiosity, work productivity tool or study aid, but a growing force shaping how Australians discover, compare and choose brands. Dean Harris, Director at The Navigators, and Douglas Nicol, Co-founder of the Australian Centre for AI in Marketing, explore what this means for marketers and business leaders, and how to adapt to this rapidly evolving landscape.
For years, marketers have worked to influence consumer choice through familiar channels: search rankings, retail shelves, media placement and owned channels. But a new layer is quickly inserting itself in front of all of these touchpoints.
Generative AI tools are increasingly becoming the interface through which consumers research and evaluate brands. And when AI mediates discovery, comparison and trust, it raises a fundamental question for marketers: who – or what - really influences consumer choice today? Our latest research suggests the answer is changing faster than many brands realise.
The Navigators’ AI Brandscape 2026, one of the most comprehensive examinations of Australians’ use of generative AI tools, shows AI is rapidly embedding itself in everyday decision-making. Among the 1,736 Australians surveyed, 43% now regularly use AI tools, while another 20% have tried them.
More importantly for marketers, AI is already shaping purchasing behaviour. The research found 39% of Australians have used AI to help make buying decisions, 31% have acted on AI recommendations, and 27% say they are open to purchasing directly via an AI tool.
Historically, consumer journeys have involved multiple steps: searching online, comparing products across websites, reading reviews and visiting retailers before making a decision. Now, generative AI is compressing much of that process into a single interaction.
The research found 38% of Australians now use AI as a complement or replacement for traditional search, while 41% pay attention to AI-generated summaries. Among those using AI to support purchase decisions, the technology most commonly helps consumers compare brands (80%), discover new options (72%), understand pricing (56%), and receive recommendations (48%).
For brands, the implication is clear: if you are not being surfaced and accurately explained inside these systems, you risk becoming invisible at the moment consumers are forming their decision. In this new environment, the question for marketers is no longer simply how to reach consumers, but how to show up when AI speaks on your behalf.
Five ways marketers can adapt
According to Douglas Nicol, co-founder of the Australian Centre for AI in Marketing, marketers don’t need to abandon the fundamentals, but they do need to rethink how those fundamentals operate in an AI-mediated environment.
1. Treat generative AI as a discovery and comparison channel
Insight: AI is already shaping shortlists and “which brand makes the cut”. It is not just a tool people use, it is a filter that decides what gets seen.
Action: Audit how your brand shows up in AI answers today: what’s right, what’s missing, what’s wrong, and which competitors are being surfaced instead. Then fix the gaps, especially around key comparison questions.
2. Own search properly: SEO plus Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)
Insight: Search behaviour is shifting fast, and there’s a lot of noise about what works. You need to manage the transition from SEO to AEO in a way that avoids customer ‘leakage’.
Action: Set aside time and budget for AEO experiments (page structure, Q&A formats, trusted data sources, clarity). Run a simple monthly check to track how often you appear, where, and with what messaging.
3. Make your website easy for AI to quote, not just nice to browse
Insight: AI rewards clarity and specifics. The “boring” pages now do heavy lifting, FAQs, product explainers, definitions, pricing, and T&Cs.
Action: Build a proper Q&A hub that answers the real questions people ask when validating and comparing. Keep it current, write in plain English, and make key facts easy to find and repeat accurately.
4. Build credibility where AI looks for trust signals
Insight: Remember, AI systems and consumers are getting pickier as low-quality content grows. Proof beats claims. Transparency will matter even more if sponsored answers become common.
Action: Audit your claims for accuracy and consistency. Back them with evidence: independent reviews, reputable media, expert validation, and trusted partners. Also prepare clear disclosure language and internal guardrails now, so you are not scrambling later.
5. Protect the human moments, and get “buy-ready” for AI-enabled purchasing
Insight: AI should remove friction, not remove humanity. Also, purchasing via AI is coming, and brands that are hard to buy, or hard to verify, will get sidelined.
Action: Decide where humans must stay visible and easy to reach. Use AI to speed things up, not block people. At the same time, strengthen your “buy-ready” setup (product info quality, ecommerce, marketplaces) and keep a steady consumer insight program so you track real behaviour, not hype. Consider partnering with an insights and research expert to track how consumer behaviours are shifting, and build a 12–24 month view of what’s likely to change in your category.
