TL;DR Summary:
AI Dominates Searches: AI assistants now command 56% of global search volume, generating 45 billion monthly sessions, with ChatGPT holding 89% share.Mobile Apps Surge: 83% of AI usage occurs via mobile apps, dwarfing web traffic comparisons by four to five times.Marketers Must Adapt: Track AI visibility alongside SEO as search expands 26% total, with Google's dominance dropping to 71%.AI Assistants Now Command 56% of Global Search Volume
The search world just shifted dramatically. AI assistants now equal 56% of global search engine volume, according to a new study by Graphite.io CEO Ethan Smith. This means nearly six out of every ten searches happen through AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
The numbers are staggering. AI platforms generate 45 billion monthly sessions worldwide. In the U.S. alone, that’s 5.4 billion monthly sessions. Most people access these tools through mobile apps, not websites.
Mobile Apps Drive AI Search Growth
Here’s what most reports miss: 83% of global AI usage happens inside mobile apps. Traditional web traffic comparisons between Google.com and ChatGPT.com miss the bigger picture by four to five times.
The study analyzed five major AI platforms: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude. It compared them with the six largest search engines. ChatGPT dominates this space, representing 89% of all AI sessions globally.
Why This Matters for Your Business
AI assistants now equal 56% of global search engine volume, but this isn’t killing traditional search. Total usage across both search engines and AI assistants grew 26% globally since 2023. People are searching more, not less.
You need both traditional SEO and AI visibility. When AI tools mention your competitors instead of your brand, you lose potential customers before they even know you exist.
Track your brand’s AI visibility. As discovery fragments across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other LLMs, monitoring where and how AI assistants mention your brand becomes critical. Tools like AI_Mentions help marketers track brand citations across major AI platforms, measuring your share of voice in AI-generated responses – the new frontier alongside traditional search rankings.
The Real Numbers Behind AI Search
When the study isolated search-like prompts, AI usage equals 28% of search worldwide and 17% in the U.S. The report excludes prompts for creative tasks or general assistance. Only information-seeking queries count.
According to OpenAI research, about 52% of prompts seek information. These queries work most like traditional search behavior.
Google still leads discovery overall, but its dominance is shrinking. Google’s share of search-related activity dropped from 89% in 2023 to 71% by Q4 2025.
Geographic Differences in AI Adoption
Global AI usage plateaued since July 2025. However, U.S. usage keeps growing rapidly. American AI usage jumped roughly 300% year over year by December 2025.
This suggests AI assistants now equal 56% of global search engine volume through different adoption patterns worldwide. Some markets embrace AI tools faster than others.
What This Means for Marketers
The fragmentation of search creates new challenges. Your audience now finds information through Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other platforms. Each platform requires different optimization strategies.
Traditional SEO metrics only tell part of your visibility story. You need to track mentions across AI platforms too. When someone asks ChatGPT about your industry, does your brand appear in the response?
Most businesses don’t monitor their AI visibility. They optimize for Google while missing billions of AI-powered searches. This creates opportunities for brands that adapt early.
The study shows search behavior is expanding, not replacing. People use both traditional search engines and AI assistants for different needs. Smart marketers will optimize for both channels.
Are you tracking whether AI_Mentions shows your brand appearing when potential customers ask AI assistants about your industry?
