ChatGPT Dominates AI Search Market as Traditional Engines See Steady Decline

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has firmly established itself as the dominant force in AI-powered search, commanding more than 80% of the market share and rapidly redefining how people access information online. According to Similarweb’s latest “AI Global” report, ChatGPT’s share of AI search traffic has surged to 80.1%, up from 77.6% the previous month. This significant lead puts OpenAI far ahead of both emerging competitors and legacy search platforms attempting to integrate AI into their offerings.

Trailing distantly behind are DeepSeek at 6.5% (down from 7.6%), Google’s AI tools at 5.6% (a slight rise from 5.5%), Grok at 2.6% (down from 3.2%), and Perplexity at 1.5% (down from 1.9%). While Google still holds an enormous user base—seven times larger than that of ChatGPT—the clear trend shows users gravitating toward AI tools that offer immediate, conversational answers rather than traditional link-based results.

Traditional search engines are feeling the impact. Google’s search traffic has dipped 2% year-over-year, a modest decline but notable for a platform of its scale. Bing, once experiencing strong momentum with an 18% growth rate in January, is now facing an 18% decline over the same timeframe. Yahoo’s traffic is down by 11%, DuckDuckGo’s by 6%, and Baidu’s by 12%. Across the board, traditional search has seen a steady 1% to 2% drop compared to last year, a shift that reflects changing consumer behavior and expectations.

Users are increasingly turning to AI tools for their ability to deliver context-aware responses in natural language, saving them the time and effort of browsing through multiple sources. This move away from conventional search marks a transformation in how individuals gather information, favoring synthesized, precise answers over exhaustive lists of web pages.

But the ripple effects of this AI-driven evolution go far beyond the search market. Similarweb’s analysis of broader AI trends shows that certain categories of AI tools are booming while others are beginning to stall. DevOps and code completion tools are at the forefront, with usage growing a staggering 103% over just 12 weeks. These tools are becoming essential for developers seeking faster, more accurate workflows.

General-purpose AI tools—those that handle everything from summarizing content to answering open-ended queries—have grown by 34%. Creative tools such as music generation and voice synthesis are also showing steady gains, with usage increasing 12% and 8% respectively. This growth underscores the expanding footprint of AI across various sectors, including entertainment, productivity, and development.

However, not all corners of the AI ecosystem are experiencing upward trends. Writing and content generation tools have seen a 12% decline, which may signal either market saturation or growing scrutiny of AI-written content. AI-powered customer support tools are down 11%, suggesting that automation may not yet be delivering satisfactory results in service contexts. Most notably, legal AI tools have seen a dramatic 70% drop in usage, potentially due to compliance challenges, ethical concerns, or a lack of confidence in AI’s ability to interpret complex legal language.

The disruption caused by AI is affecting entire industries as well. Educational technology has taken a significant hit, with the sector experiencing a 28% year-over-year decline. Companies like Chegg and CourseHero have been particularly hard hit, with usage falling 66% and 69% respectively. Students may be shifting toward AI tools that offer faster help and broader capabilities in academic contexts.

Freelance marketplaces are also feeling the pressure, down 19% as clients increasingly turn to AI tools for tasks traditionally outsourced to human workers, such as writing, translation, and design. Website builders, another key digital sector, have seen a 13% drop in usage, likely due to the rise of AI-powered web design assistants that can build full sites with minimal human input.

Yet there are exceptions. Design platforms are still growing, up 10% year-over-year. This suggests that in creative industries, AI is more of an enabler than a replacement. Professionals may be using AI to speed up ideation and execution without fully automating the design process. This hybrid approach could serve as a model for how other industries adapt to AI integration.

The message for digital marketers and content strategists is clear: traditional SEO tactics are no longer sufficient on their own. While Google’s algorithm remains important, success in the evolving landscape requires a dual strategy. Content must be optimized not only for conventional search but also for AI models like ChatGPT, which are reshaping how users access and engage with information.

To remain competitive, brands and creators should focus on producing high-quality, structured, and semantically rich content that AI tools can accurately interpret and surface. This includes using schema markup, clear formatting, and concise language to ensure that AI platforms understand the context and relevance of content.

The transformation underway is not merely technological—it’s behavioral. For decades, search engines served as the gateway to digital knowledge, directing users to external websites via keyword-based queries. Now, many users want direct answers, delivered in plain language, without having to leave the AI interface. ChatGPT and similar tools are fulfilling that expectation, making them indispensable for a growing share of internet users.

Google has begun integrating generative AI into its own products, including AI Overviews and its Search Generative Experience (SGE). However, these features are still in early phases and face limitations in speed, reliability, and user trust. Meanwhile, OpenAI continues to refine ChatGPT with faster response times, updated knowledge, and increasing integration into third-party platforms.

Competition in this space is only expected to intensify. Google’s vast infrastructure and user base give it plenty of room to innovate, and other players like DeepSeek and Perplexity are also working to capture attention. Yet for now, ChatGPT has set the standard and maintains a significant lead in both market share and user mindshare.

Regulatory and ethical concerns are also becoming central to the discussion. As AI takes on a greater role in shaping public knowledge, issues like content bias, misinformation, and transparency in source attribution are coming to the forefront. Governments and organizations are beginning to call for clearer guidelines to ensure responsible AI usage, especially in sectors like education, law, and healthcare.

In summary, the rise of ChatGPT and the decline of traditional search engines mark a pivotal shift in the digital world. Users are embracing AI not just as a tool, but as a primary gateway to information. For marketers, publishers, and platforms, the imperative is clear: evolve with AI or risk falling behind. What was once a supplementary technology is now central to how the internet is used, understood, and monetized.