AI challenges the dominance of Google search

Like most people, whenever Anya-Sarah Lahadi checked or researched anything online, she always turned to Google.

But with the advent of artificial intelligence, the lawyer and legal technology consultant says her preferences have changed – she now turns to large language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI's ChatGPT.

“For example, I'll ask him how I should decorate my room or what outfit I should wear,” says Ms. Lahadi, who lives in Montreal, Canada.

“Or I have three things in the refrigerator, what should I do? I don't want to spend 30 minutes thinking about these administrative tasks. This is not my competence, they tire me even more.”

Ms Lahadi says her use of LLMs overtook Google search last year as they became more effective at what she needed.

“I've always been an early adopter… and last year I started using ChatGPT for almost everything. He became the second mate.”

While she says she won't use her LL.M. for legal problems—”anything that requires legal reasoning”—she uses it in a professional capacity for any work she calls “low risk,” such as drafting an email.

“I also use it to write code or find the best accounting software for my business.”

Ms. Lahadi is not alone. More and more people are turning directly to LLMs like ChatGPT for guidance and answers to everyday questions.

ChatGPT attracts over 800 million active weekly The number of users has increased from 400 million in February 2025, according to Demandsage, a data and research company.

Traditional search engines such as Google and Microsoft's Bing continue to dominate the search market. But LLM is growing rapidly.

In July, 5.99% of desktop browser searches were for LLM, more than double the figure a year earlier, according to research firm Datos.

Professor Feng Li, associate dean of research and innovation at Bayes Business School in London, says people use LLMs because they reduce “cognitive load” – the amount of mental effort required to process and act on information – compared to searching.

“Instead of juggling 10 links in a search, you get a concise synthesis that can be edited and repeated in plain English,” he says. “LLMs are especially useful for summarizing long documents, initial drafting, code snippets, and what-if exploration.”

However, he says the results still require verification before use, as hallucinations and factual errors remain common.

While the use of AI may have skyrocketed, Google denies that this has come at the expense of its search engine.

The company says overall search volume and commercial inquiries continued to grow year over year, and new AI tools contributed significantly to this increase in usage.

These new tools include an AI mode that allows users to ask more conversational questions and receive more personalized answers in return.

This follows the introduction of AI Reviews, which displays a summary of queries at the top of the search page.

While Google has downplayed the impact of LLM programs on its search business, signs of that impact emerged in May. while testifying in an antitrust trial purchased by the US Department of Justice against Google.

A senior Apple executive said Google searches on Apple devices via the Safari browser fell for the first time in more than 20 years.

However, Professor Lee does not believe there will be a replacement for search, but rather a hybrid model.

“The use of LLM is growing, but for now it remains a minority compared to traditional search. It will likely continue to grow, but will plateau somewhere with people primarily using LLMs for some tasks and looking for others, such as transactions such as purchases and bookings, and verification purposes.”

As a result of the rise in LLMs, companies are having to change their marketing strategies.

They need to understand “which sources the model considers authoritative in its category,” says Leila Seit Hassan, director of data at digital marketing agency Digitas UK.

“For example, in the UK beauty space we saw a large number of links to news outlets and review sites such as Vogue and Sephora, while in the US there was a greater focus on content from brands' own websites.”

She says LLM students trust official websites, press releases, established media outlets and recognized industry rankings more than social media posts.

And this could be important because Ms Seit Hassan says there are signs that people who used AI to find a product were more likely to buy it.

“Referrals that come directly from an LLM are often higher quality, and people are more likely to make sales.”

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that people are turning to LLMs when searching for products.

Hannah Cook, head of client strategy at media and influencer agency Charlie Oscar, says she started using LLM in a “more serious and strategic way” about 18 months ago.

She primarily uses ChatGPT, but has experimented with Google Gemini to personally and professionally optimize her work and life.

Ms Cook, who lives in London, says that instead of turning to Google, she will ask ChatGPT to provide personalized skincare recommendations for her skin type. “I have to browse fewer websites,” she says of the benefits.

It's the same with travel planning.

“ChatGPT makes it much easier to find answers and recommendations,” she says.

“For example, I used ChatGPT for research before a recent visit to Japan. I asked him to plan a two-week trip and find me restaurants with vegetarian options. It saved [me] hours of research.”