Study finds AI assistant recommendations for local businesses vary significantly by language

A researcher tested seven major AI models in late September 2026 across four cities. The study asked identical buyer questions in different languages, such as French, Dutch, German, and English, to see which local businesses the AIs recommended. Results showed dramatic differences, with leading businesses in one language often absent from recommendations in another language within the same city. For example, an insurance broker in Montreal was named 16 times in English queries but zero times in French. The findings indicate that businesses serving multilingual clients cannot rely on testing AI recommendations in just one language.