AI Tools Coexist With Traditional Search Engines, Study Finds
The landscape of online search is evolving with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, but traditional search engines like Google and Bing remain dominant. A recent study by Semrush has shed light on the relationship between AI tools and traditional search engines.
Traditional search engines, such as Google and Bing, have long relied on optimizing content for keywords, backlinks, and rankings to generate organic traffic through search engine results pages (SERPs). Interestingly, Google's traditional search data is used by ChatGPT, one of the most popular AI tools.
More than 20% of Americans are now heavy users of AI tools, accessing them 10 or more times per month. Despite the increase in AI tool usage, search volume per user for traditional search engines has slightly increased year-over-year. This suggests that AI tools and traditional search engines are not mutually exclusive but rather coexist in users' online habits.
A study by Semrush found that heavy AI tool users also perform more Google searches, challenging the notion that AI tools are replacing traditional search engines. In fact, ChatGPT users were found to search more, not less. This indicates that AI tools are complementing rather than cannibalizing traditional search engine usage.
The integration of AI into all search engines has further blurred the line between traditional and AI tools. Overall adoption of AI tools has jumped significantly, from 8% in 2023 to 38% in 2025. However, the growth in AI adoption has slowed since September 2024, with no month showing more than 1.1x growth. Despite the increase in AI tool usage, 95% of Americans still use traditional search engines monthly, with 87% being heavy Google users.
In conclusion, while AI tools are increasingly popular, they are not replacing traditional search engines. Instead, they coexist and complement each other. The integration of AI into search engines and the persistent usage of traditional search engines suggest that both have a place in users' online search habits.
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