Find out if AI-driven disruption is coming for your industry

AI is changing how people discover, compare and choose — across every industry. But not every industry is equally vulnerable. New research from BCG maps where large language models (LLMs) are likely to disrupt the consumer journey, and it breaks the landscape into four clear archetypes: Breached, Undefended, Contested and Secured.

Each one tells a different story about how AI is reshaping marketing, discovery and retention — and what brands should be doing about it right now.

Breached: When AI takes over discovery and destroys the funnel

In sectors like travel, news, retail and health and fitness, AI isn’t just shifting traffic — it’s collapsing the comparison layer entirely. Search, aggregators and even branded content are being skipped over as consumers ask LLMs what to buy and trust the answer. That’s a huge problem if your business relies on visibility in traditional discovery channels.

These brands are at risk of being demoted to data providers for AI interfaces, with little pricing power or differentiation left. The playbook here is all about regaining direct relationships: loyalty, closed-loop experiences, exclusive data, and built-in comparisons are now mission-critical.

Undefended: High attention, low retention, big risk

Verticals like gaming, dating and betting (RMG) aren’t yet being replaced by AI. However, discovery is shifting fast, and brand loyalty is thin. These businesses often rely on performance marketing and low-friction app installs, making them especially exposed to disappearing visibility across search, app stores and programmatic.

To avoid fading into the background, these brands need to flip from transactional to durable. That means investing in personalization, AI-fueled loyalty and strategic integrations to ensure they appear in AI-mediated recommendations.

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Contested: Strong brands, fragile workflows

Productivity tools like Google Drive or Microsoft Office aren’t easily displaced. What’s changing is the way users access them. AI agents are increasingly handling tasks like formatting a presentation or writing a spreadsheet formula. That doesn’t eliminate the tool, but it does put a new layer between brand and user.

For these companies, the strategy is twofold: double down on user value inside the platform, and help shape the standards for how AI plugs into the category. Owning or at least influencing the agent interface is now part of long-term competitive advantage.

Secured: Moats that still matter — for now

If you’re in fintech, traditional finance, social platforms or streaming media, AI isn’t coming to eat your business model yet. These industries benefit from deep user relationships, regulatory complexity and proprietary data that’s hard to replicate. That doesn’t mean they can coast.

The risk here isn’t disruption. It’s falling behind on AI-driven efficiency and engagement. The opportunity? Use AI to deepen loyalty, make personalization proactive, and turn regulatory or data advantages into strategic capabilities.

The full study is available here. (No registration required.)