As artificial intelligence becomes the intermediary through which businesses are discovered, a September 2026 study of nearly 4,000 commercial prompts reveals that sector directories — not company websites — are the dominant source shaping AI-generated supplier recommendations. The finding invites a deeper question about how authority is being redefined in a world where machines curate the first answer: not by prestige or brand recognition, but by structural completeness and categorical clarity. For businesses built on the assumption that owning their digital presence meant controlling their v