AI search in numbers: how big is the market?
The most important user numbers
- ChatGPT: around 800 million weekly active users (as of October 2025).
- Google AI Overviews: over 2 billion monthly users (mid 2025) who see AI summaries above the classic results.
- Google AI mode: more than 100 million monthly users, initially in the US and India.
- Gemini app: around 450 million monthly active users.
- Perplexity: in the range of several hundred million search queries per month.
What the numbers mean
AI answers are no longer a fringe phenomenon but part of daily life for billions of people. This shifts where brands are discovered and compared: away from the pure link list, toward the generated answer.
Especially relevant: complex decisions
Studies on software buying suggest that nearly all purchase processes are now accompanied in some form by AI, from the first shortlisting to checking offers. The more complex and expensive the decision, the more likely AI is involved.
Putting it in context
Figures on market share vary by method. The direction is certain: AI search is growing fast and taking share from classic search. Whoever builds visibility now secures an advantage in a still-young competitive field.
Key takeaways
- ChatGPT around 800 million weekly users, AI Overviews over 2 billion monthly.
- AI search is a mass market, not a niche topic.
- Complex purchase decisions are especially often AI-accompanied.
- Concrete market shares vary, the growth trend is clear.
Frequently asked questions
Are these AI-search numbers stable?
They grow fast and are updated continuously. The order of magnitude is more meaningful than the exact figure.
What share does AI have of search?
Estimates vary widely. A double-digit percentage with a rising trend is plausible.
Does this AI-search shift apply to B2B too?
Especially there. For complex purchase decisions AI is involved above average.