AI-powered search is rewriting the rules of B2B buyer discovery. And the first-party signals marketers have long depended on are seemingly vanishing into thin air. In fact, Forrester clients report declines of 10%–50% in digital signals since 2024. Rather quickly, the pressure to find reliable replacements and reinventions has become dire.
But Forrester’s 2026 research delivers a more nuanced verdict than the headlines suggest: intent data as a category is holding firm. Coverage hasn’t collapsed, and accuracy hasn’t eroded. Investment is actually rising. What has changed is the risk profile across different types of providers. Understanding that distinction is now a critical strategic decision.
Access the Forrester report to get the scoop on:
- How AI-powered search is actually impacting intent data providers
- Which intent collection methodologies are most insulated from disruption, and which face the steepest risk as buyer research continues to migrate toward LLMs and answer engines.
- What questions to ask your intent data provider right now, so you can assess their resilience, validate their signal quality and make sure your strategy is built for what comes next.
