AI Syndicate Research: measured data on how AI recommends businesses
AI Syndicate Research publishes what we measure about how AI assistants recommend businesses. Its main series is the AI Local Report, written from each monthly edition of AI Syndicate Local, our public index of which local businesses 12 AI assistants name across US markets.
AI Syndicate Research is the publishing arm of AI Syndicate's measurement work. The AI Local Report comes out after each monthly edition of the AI Local index, compares it with earlier editions, and states its method and limits. Every figure is measured by us and free to cite with credit; the underlying rankings are published under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
Which reports have been published?
| Report | Published | Headline finding |
|---|---|---|
| AI Local Report, October 2026 | 5 October 2026 | AI's #1 local pick changed in 58% of 245 US markets in one month |
The October 2026 report covers 600 markets in Florida, California, New York and Texas, 12 assistants and 21,600 questions. It compares the September and October editions and, for Florida, three editions back to August. A PDF copy is available.
What is the AI Local Report?
The AI Local Report turns each monthly edition of AI Syndicate Local into findings people can use and cite. Each issue answers the same core questions, so issues can be compared over time:
- How often do AI assistants change the business they recommend first?
- How much do the twelve assistants agree with each other?
- Does the way a customer asks change the answer?
- Which websites do the assistants cite when they recommend a local business?
Each issue also reports what changed in the method, what the data cannot show, and what we keep private.
Where does the data come from?
Every figure comes from AI Syndicate Local. Once a month it asks 12 AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Microsoft Copilot, Siri, Alexa, Grok, Meta AI, DeepSeek and Mistral) the same three questions about each type of local business in each metro area, and ranks the businesses they name. The question wordings are fixed, so editions can be compared. The methodology page explains how answers are collected, how business names are matched, and the rule a business must clear to be ranked. Placement in the index cannot be bought.
How often is it published?
Monthly. The AI Local index is measured in the first half of each month, and the AI Local Report follows each edition. As more editions build up, the reports will add longer trends and a yearly review.
How can I cite or reuse the research?
Quote any figure with credit to AI Syndicate Research and a link to the report it comes from. Up to 50 words of text, or a single chart with its source line, may be reused that way; reproducing a report or large parts of it needs written permission. Each report carries a suggested citation at the top. The rankings behind the reports are published under a CC BY 4.0 licence, with machine-readable copies at /ai-local/data.json and /ai-local/all.md. Journalists and researchers who need a cut of the data that is not published can write to support@aisyndicate.com.
Sources
- AI Syndicate Local: the public index — AI Syndicate. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- AI Syndicate Local methodology — AI Syndicate. Read Oct 5, 2026.
Common questions
What is AI Syndicate Research?
AI Syndicate Research publishes AI Syndicate's measured findings on how AI assistants recommend businesses. Its main series is the monthly AI Local Report, written from the AI Syndicate Local index.
Is the research free to use?
Yes. Any figure can be quoted with credit to AI Syndicate Research and a link to the report. The underlying rankings are published under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
Related pages.
See who AI recommends in your market.
The AI Local index is free and public: pick your state, metro and trade to see which businesses the 12 assistants name.