New AI Study Shows Five Reasons Executives Use ChatGPT More Than Staff

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Five Reasons Executives Are Using AI Twice as Much as Other Workers

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I still remember the first time I asked an AI platform for advice on a major decision. I thought I would get a long list of links, the way Google has always worked. Instead, I got a clear recommendation. The AI named specific vendors, explained its reasoning, and left me with the sense that the old way of researching and deciding had already changed.

A new study from Bospar confirms that this shift is real, and it is executives, not junior employees, who are leading the charge. While 94 percent of executives are using AI, only 49 percent of employees with limited decision-making authority say the same.

That’s twice as much.

Even more striking, 84 percent of decision-makers have already purchased products based on AI recommendations. So why are executives embracing AI at nearly twice the rate of other workers?

Five major reasons stand out.

Reason 1: Executives Trust AI And ChatGPT to Guide Real Decisions

Executives are not just experimenting with AI for productivity gains.

They are trusting it to shape multimillion-dollar purchasing decisions. At large companies, 67.5 percent of executives have already built comprehensive AI strategies for vendor selection.

This shift signals that AI is no longer a back-office tool but a front-line decision maker. From evaluating risk to predicting ROI, executives increasingly see AI as essential to competitive advantage.

The message is clear: those who fail to integrate AI into strategic choices risk falling behind.

When I spoke to Curtis Sparrer, Principal and Co-Founder of Bospar PR + Marketing Agency, he shared with me that “the executives with the biggest budgets are asking AI platforms which vendors to consider. The platforms do not invent answers. They cite authoritative sources. If your competitor shows up instead of you, it is because they earned credibility in outlets executives trust.”

Reason 2: The Traditional Sales Funnel Is Collapsing Due to AI and ChatGPT

The old sales model revolved around getting in front of decision-makers through cold calls, demos, and pitches. That funnel is shrinking fast. Today, executives are going straight to AI for vendor suggestions and often buying based on the very first recommendation.

If your brand is absent from the recommendation, you may never even enter the buying process.

Over dinner with David Armano, Executive at NTT Data, he shared that “we all knew this was coming. The buyer’s journey isn’t just evolving, it’s being disrupted in real time. AI is reshaping every touchpoint and changing everything.”

Reason 3: Executives See AI as Faster Than Google – Is ChatGPT Winning the Race?

For decades, Google was the starting point for business discovery. But Bospar’s data shows that nearly half of professionals predict AI will completely replace Google for research by 2030, with Gen Z professionals leading that belief at 73.4 percent.

Executives, who value speed and clarity, are adopting AI at scale because it delivers recommendations instead of links. That shift saves time and makes decision-making more direct.

For decades, Google was the gateway to discovery. Now AI is becoming the new gatekeeper, offering answers instead of links. If you are not in the AI response, you are invisible to the customer. It’s now all about Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) not just Search Engine Optimization anymore (SEO).

Ramon Ray, Founder of ZoneofGenius.com, has been watching this trend. The Entrepreneur told me that “Generative Engine Optimization is the new frontier of visibility. Just like SEO defined the last digital era, GEO will define this one. If your brand isn’t showing up when executives ask AI for recommendations, you’re already behind. Credibility in the age of AI isn’t about clicks, it’s about being the trusted answer.”

Reason 4: Specialized AI Platforms Match Executive Needs

While ChatGPT dominates overall usage at 51.7 percent, executives are flocking to specialized tools. Microsoft Copilot is popular for its enterprise integrations. DeepSeek is surging among technical professionals. Perplexity is carving out space in academic research.

Executives are becoming sophisticated users, switching platforms based on the type of decision they are making. Two-thirds of professionals already switch platforms depending on the query, and nearly half verify across multiple systems.

For companies trying to reach these executives, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) must extend across platforms, not just one.

Reason 5: Authority Drives AI Recommendations in ChatGPT and Other Generative Engines

No matter which AI platform executives use, they are all citing the same types of sources. Academic research leads trust at 54.3 percent, followed by industry publications at 42.9 percent and major news outlets at 37.5 percent. Reddit and Wikipedia are also shown in the most used sources.

AI runs on trust.

This means executives trust AI because they trust the sources behind it. And for businesses, that trust must be earned. Companies that fail to appear in these publications risk being invisible in the AI-driven discovery process.

The New Business Gatekeeper – AI and ChatGPT

The Bospar study makes it clear that executives are leading the AI revolution. They trust it more, they use it more, and they are acting on its recommendations faster than anyone else. Next will come a focus on ROI.

The five reasons are interconnected. Executives want faster decisions, rely on trusted sources, and expect specialized platforms to deliver precise answers.

For companies, the implications are urgent. If AI does not recommend you, executives may never find you. Generative Engine Optimization is no longer optional.

It is how businesses ensure they show up in AI is the only answers that matter in an era of trusting AI tools.