A shopper asks an AI assistant for sneakers for a 23-year-old. Another Googles a boutique hotel in Rome. Before either sees a picture of a shoe or a room, artificial intelligence has helped decide which brands deserve consideration. Mental availability is no longer formed directly by comms and shopper experience; a new intermediary has stepped in.

AI is increasingly a gatekeeper between businesses and their customers. Shoppers don’t have to open a chatbot for AI to influence their choices. It is already embedded in familiar services. Think of Google, where AI-generated answers appear before people visit a brand’s website.

Morgan Stanley estimates that agent-influenced shopping could account for $190 billion to $385 billion in U.S. e-commerce spending by 2030, or 10% to 20% of the market. Of course, being memorable to humans is still essential, but leaders also need to consider whether their brand is understood by AI, not just people.

People can accommodate changing messages within an existing emotional attachment to a brand. Machines do not share that attachment. Fragmented messaging or unsupported claims can leave AI systems with conflicting information, making them less likely to recommend the brand. 

Even the biggest names cannot assume they will appear. Authors writing in Harvard Business Review in 2026 found that Brooks appeared more reliably than Nike in their tests of AI recommendations for running shoes.

The response requires more than trying to influence where AI looks for answers. Brands are racing to SEO, GEO, and Reddit strategies, but the landscape is continually evolving. To remain in consideration by both audiences, brands need to go back to their roots, examine their foundations, and be more disciplined in their execution. They must focus on the core idea the brand stands for and how consistently that meaning comes across wherever the brand appears.

So, how do you do it?