What the survey reports
On November 9, Gartner published findings from a survey of 408 senior marketing leaders. It reports that 61% of CMOs have adapted their content strategies to make content more machine readable and improve brand visibility in AI driven experiences. Forty two percent say they have taken steps to monitor and correct misinformation about their brands in AI generated output.
The survey was conducted in July and August 2026. Gartner also reports that 94% plan to increase investment in human touchpoints over the following year. These are reported actions and plans among the surveyed leaders. They do not establish how often AI answers are actually wrong or whether the steps taken have succeeded.
The small question behind the big number
Imagine a traveller asking an assistant for a cabin suitcase. It finds a suitable model but gives dimensions that exclude the wheels and handle. The answer looks complete to the customer. At the airport, that missing detail can make all the difference.
Being found before anyone visits the shop begins with exactly this question about the suitcase dimensions. The task is not to write one magic sentence for a language model. A merchant needs to make a dependable answer available where the product page, feed and customer service can use it.
Check discovery and accuracy separately
A useful starting point is a short list of real questions from sales and support: does the spare part fit, is the accessory included, and when will the order arrive? A team can repeat those questions in the assistants its customers use, compare the answers with maintained product information, and record which source was cited or missing.
When an answer is wrong, look for its origin. Is the outdated claim on an old product page, in a feed or on a third party site? Correcting a source you control is a concrete action. Whether and when an assistant incorporates the change depends on its sources and refresh cycle. A well maintained product page does not guarantee a particular answer.
Why human advice belongs in the same journey
Alongside machine readable content, Gartner reports planned investment in human touchpoints. In Experience that improves a decision, I look at why fabric samples, knowledgeable advice or a useful product view can help someone make a difficult choice. Those experiences and dependable data do different jobs within the same purchase.
In my earlier article The Discovery Layer Just Moved, I explored how product discovery shifts towards AI assistants. Gartner’s survey adds a view of the actions reported by some marketing leaders. It does not prove that those strategies already produce better recommendations or more revenue.
A place to start in your own store
I would start with a few important products and track questions, answers, sources, dates and ownership in a simple record. Contradictions around variants, compatibility, availability and delivery terms deserve particular attention. The guide to GEO and AI search provides further steps for discovery. If a recommendation becomes an order, the real purchasing flow needs its own test; the Visa benchmark illustrates why the decision itself deserves scrutiny.
Source and further reading
Read the original announcement ↗