Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots reportedly account for a small but growing share of searches conducted through desktop browsers.
The share of those searches in the United States that went to chatbots rather than traditional search engines reached 5.6% in June, up from 2.48% in June 2024 and 1.3% in January 2024, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Tuesday (July 22), citing data from Datos, a Semrush company.
These numbers do not include search traffic from mobile browsers and apps, according to the report.
The share is higher among early adopters of AI-powered chatbots, the report said. Among the consumers who were already using these chatbots when Datos began tracking their behavior in April 2024, the share of desktop searches that went to AI reached 40% in June, up from 24% a year earlier.
Datos CEO and co-founder Eli Goodman told the WSJ that this growth marks a change that could be as significant as the introduction of Google’s web browser and the first social media platforms.
This development has sparked the creation of AI-optimization startups that aim to help brands have their names show up in AI searches, according to the report.
It has also created an opportunity to include advertising in AI search replies, something Perplexity is experimenting with, per the report.
Perplexity launched an AI-powered web browser called Comet on July 9, saying the browser lets users answer questions and carry out tasks and research from a single interface.
“Comet transforms entire browsing sessions into single, seamless interactions, collapsing complex workflows into fluid conversations,” Perplexity said in a blog post announcing the launch of its browser.
The company said in a November blog post that it was experimenting with advertising that would appear as sponsored follow-up questions and paid media alongside answers.
PYMNTS reported Wednesday (July 16) that the rise of generative AI is fundamentally changing how people find information online because it delivers direct answers rather than surfacing website links.
“[Small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs)] can’t just rely on ranking for search terms anymore,” Joy Youell, owner of Winsome Marketing, told PYMNTS. “They’ll need to focus on visibility inside generative AI platforms — whether that’s structured data, verified listings, or integrations through plugins, APIs or partnerships.”
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