The Rise of AI Assistants in Global Search Trends

The Growing Influence of AI Tools in Search Usage

The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and one of the most significant shifts in recent years has been the increasing dominance of AI tools in search activity. According to a study by Graphite.io CEO Ethan Smith, AI tools now contribute to a staggering 45 billion monthly sessions worldwide, accounting for about 56% of search engine volume.

• This analysis combines data on web traffic and mobile app usage to estimate that AI activity represents 56% of global search usage and 34% in the U.S. This substantial growth is largely driven by the surge in popularity of mobile apps such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude.

Understanding the Impact

The increasing prevalence of AI in search is not diminishing the demand for traditional search engines; instead, it is expanding the horizons of discovery. The total usage across search engines and AI assistants has witnessed a remarkable 26% growth globally since 2023. In essence, the scenario is not about SEO versus GEO; rather, it emphasizes the necessity of having a presence in both domains to ensure visibility and rankings.

Key Insights from the Study

• AI platforms are responsible for generating a remarkable 45 billion monthly sessions on a global scale.
• In the U.S. alone, AI contributes to 5.4 billion monthly sessions.
• An overwhelming 83% of global AI usage occurs within mobile apps, with the U.S. accounting for 75% of this usage.
• ChatGPT emerges as the frontrunner in AI usage, representing a substantial 89% of global AI sessions.
• When focusing on search-like prompts, AI usage equates to 28% of search activities globally and 17% in the U.S.

The report distinguishes between different types of prompts, categorizing them as either "asking," "doing," or "expressing." It is noted that about 52% of prompts fall under information-seeking, which closely aligns with traditional search queries.

Looking Beyond the Surface

• Many comparisons between AI and search activities tend to underestimate the true scope of AI activity by focusing solely on web traffic, neglecting the significant usage within mobile apps.
• The analysis presented in the report asserts that these comparisons could be undervaluing AI activity by a factor of 4–5 times, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple large language models (LLMs) in the evaluation.

Future Trends to Monitor

• While Google continues to reign supreme in the realm of discovery, its share of search-related activities has witnessed a decline from 89% in 2023 to 71% in Q4 2025. This trend signifies a shifting landscape in search behavior.
• On a global scale, AI usage seems to have reached a plateau since July 2025, while U.S. usage continues to experience significant growth, with estimates suggesting a nearly 300% increase year over year by December 2025.

For further details, you can access the full report here.

Explore over 200 online tools on MATSEOTOOLS encompassing SEO, developer resources, text and image editing utilities, PDF and CSV management options, as well as various conversion and calculator tools to streamline your digital endeavors.