AI Chatbots May Be Eroding Google’s Search Business

Investors have grown increasingly concerned that AI chatbots could eventually displace Google Search, which accounts for 55% of parent company Alphabet’s overall revenues.

A small but noticeable drop in Google Search’s global market share since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late November 2022.

But determining precisely how AI competition is affecting Google—and which rivals may be gaining—is a complex question, Jeremy Kahn reported for Fortune Tech.

Apple executive Eddy Cue said last week that the volume of Google searches on Apple’s Safari browser had declined for the first time in more than two decades. In response, Google issued a statement saying that people are searching more—not less—but not necessarily through Safari.

Data from web analytics firm Statcounter has shown a small but noticeable drop in Google Search’s global market share since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late November 2022.

Younger users are also increasingly turning to social media for product, travel, and restaurant recommendations instead of Google, according to a recent Bernstein Research report.

How quickly these trends will impact Google’s revenues remains unclear. In Q1 2025, Google Search revenues continued to grow—though at just half the pace seen throughout 2024.

As Google ad chief Vidhya Srinivasan put it during an October 2024 meeting: “The writing is on the wall.”