AI is eating search
Usage of AI assistants for general information searches has jumped significantly, with one roundup noting ChatGPT search usage rose from 4.1% to 12.5% over six months and assistant conversations focused on practical guidance and writing make up the bulk of activity. Review and comparison coverage also shows consumers are choosing between assistant bundles and subscriptions rather than single models. (position.digital) (zdnet.com)
People are starting to use chatbots the way they used to use a search box: ask one question, get one answer, and keep going. OpenAI opened ChatGPT search to all users by February 5, 2025, and Google now offers AI Overviews in more than 120 countries and territories. (openai.com) (search.google) One widely cited 2026 roundup said ChatGPT’s share of general search usage rose from 4.1% to 12.5% in six months, even as Google search sessions still averaged 12.6 per week after people started using ChatGPT. The same roundup said AI is adding a new search habit, not replacing the old one outright. (position.digital) What people do inside these assistants looks a lot like search with extra steps. A National Bureau of Economic Research working paper found “Practical Guidance,” “Seeking Information,” and “Writing” made up about 77% to 80% of ChatGPT conversations. (nber.org) That means the competition is no longer just “which model is smartest.” It is also which product can answer a question, rewrite an email, compare a stroller, plan a trip, and cite sources in the same chat window. (chatgpt.com) (openai.com) Google has pushed search in the same direction. AI Overviews summarize answers above links, and Google said AI Mode started rolling out in the United States in May 2025 for people who wanted a more conversational, end-to-end search experience. (search.google) (blog.google) The money question is shifting too. Reviews now compare subscriptions and bundles, not just raw model output, because the leading products sit inside larger ecosystems of search, office software, browsers, phones, and cloud storage. (zdnet.com) That is why a $20 plan is no longer just a faster chatbot. ZDNET’s April 13, 2026 comparison framed the choice as whether to keep ChatGPT Plus or switch to Gemini Pro, a test built around 10 everyday tasks rather than a single benchmark score. (zdnet.com) Publishers and marketers are adjusting because the answer now often appears before the click. Position Digital’s roundup said 75% of Google AI Mode sessions end without an external visit, and organic click-through rates fell 61% on queries where an AI Overview appeared. (position.digital) Google and OpenAI both say their systems still send people to the web. OpenAI says ChatGPT search includes source links and was built to connect users with original reporting, while Google says AI Overviews are designed to help people “explore more on the web.” (openai.com) (search.google) The old search page has not disappeared. But in less than two years, the basic act of looking something up has started to move from a list of links to a conversation, and the companies selling that conversation are now selling a bundle around it. (openai.com) (blog.google)
