Insights from PI LIVE Europe 2025
Artificial intelligence isn’t just a channel or trend, it represents a fundamental shift in the way people search, evaluate and decide what to buy. As AI reshapes the path to discovery, brands must quickly adapt and rethink how partnerships drive visibility, trust and performance in this new landscape.
Partnership marketing is central to that evolution. These partners provide the trusted, structured and insightful content that drives AI-driven commerce, positioning affiliates not as a tactical add-on, but as a strategic pillar in how brands remain visible and credible in an AI-first world.
Bee PI LIVE Europe 2025Account Director of Acceleration Partners Ben Norton connected Malte Landwehr, CMO & CPO at Peec AI, Tom Saulsbury-Hunter, Agency Managing Director at CJ And Sol Wilkinson Editorial Manager at Hello Partner, on the Main stage for the session “The New Discovery Wars: AI, SEO, and the Future of Affiliate Visibility.”
Together they explored how generative AI, evolving search behavior and new discovery platforms are changing the performance marketing landscape – and why the future is brighter than many think.
AI is not the enemy – it is the next partner
While headlines often portray AI as a threat to traditional marketing models, Ben was clear: affiliate marketers will benefit from adapting early. “Actually recently Acceleration Partners research found that more than 80% of citations used by large language models (LLMs) and AI search platforms come from ad-funded websites and not from brand-owned content,” explains Ben. “Affiliates aren’t just part of this new ecosystem – they fuel it.”
The chance is now over work with AI, not against it. By feeding structured, human-verified content into AI systems, affiliates can make their content discoverable and valuable on emerging platforms. AI inherently values and rewards high-quality, authentic and authoritative content – and that’s where affiliates have a natural advantage. Editorial-driven reviews and real insights from creators provide the depth, context, and credibility favored by large language models, helping brands gain both visibility and trust in AI-driven discovery. Now that apps are live in ChatGPT (in the US), cashback, coupon and loyalty partners are already well positioned to benefit.
Trust is the new currency
Ben emphasized that trust is now the ultimate competitive advantage.
Affiliate content has long been the layer of credibility between brands and consumers – and that role is only becoming more important. Because AI systems rely on structured, verifiable information, affiliates who create transparent, high-quality content are uniquely positioned to lead. Their authenticity and depth make them indispensable sources of truth in a landscape where credibility drives discovery.
Ben encouraged brands to treat affiliates as credibility enhancersnot just performance drivers. That means:
- Co-creating content with real people and real experiences
- Reward partners for quality, brand safety and sentiment
- Input structured, verified partner data into AI ecosystems
As attribution models evolve, we may see new forms of recognition emerge – such as “trusted affiliate” tiers that track and reward affiliates who consistently drive brand equity, trust and quality in addition to conversions.
For smaller affiliates, Ben’s advice was clear: focus on authenticity, not scale.
“In a world overrun by synthetic content, human voices will penetrate,” he said. “High-quality reviews, thoughtful stories and lived experiences will matter more than ever.”
From rankings to relevance: a new attribution model
As zero-click search becomes the norm, Ben noted that the focus for affiliates must shift ranking Unpleasant relevance.
“Visibility is not just about where you appear,” he said. “What matters is whether you are referenced, whether you are trusted and whether you have credibility in the AI-generated results.”
That shift also changes the way success is defined. In an AI-led discovery landscape the definition of outcomes must evolve – going beyond clicks and conversions to influence, authority and trust. Being quoted in an AI summary has measurable brand value, even if it doesn’t lead to an immediate sale.
Ben called for a rethink of traditional last-click models to reward affiliate content that makes recommendations. “Attribution must evolve to recognize influence, not just transactions,” he said. “If we only pay for clicks,” Ben said, “we don’t see where the real influence is happening.”
Brands and platforms will need to support this new ways to measure and reward affiliatesrecognizing the partners that shape consumer decisions across the funnel. Attribution models need to evolve from last click to influence-based frameworksensuring partners who build trust and visibility in AI-driven environments receive proper recognition for their impact.
Amid the disruption, real opportunities
Ben ended the session optimistically. As AI-generated content proliferates, the value of human insight will only increase.
“AI may change the way we discover,” he said, “but it won’t change who we trust.”
For both affiliates and brands, that is the signal amid the noise: as the discovery evolvestrust, authenticity and human perspective will determine who wins the next chapter of performance marketing.
Ready to rethink your brand visibility strategy for the AI era? Our team helps leading brands build trusted, performance-driven partnerships that thrive in an evolving discovery landscape.
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