AI Search Statistics: 50 Stats Marketers Need to Know

AI search is transforming how people discover information and make decisions. These statistics reveal the scale, growth, and marketing impact of AI-powered search platforms.

Last updated: January 2026

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AI Platform Usage Statistics

ChatGPT Usage

1. 200 million weekly active users use ChatGPT globally (OpenAI, 2025)

2. 100 million daily active users engage with ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025)

3. 1 billion+ messages are sent to ChatGPT daily (estimate based on OpenAI data)

4. 92% of ChatGPT users have used it for search-like queries (Pew Research, 2025)

5. 37% of ChatGPT users have asked for product or service recommendations (eMarketer, 2025)

Perplexity Usage

6. 100+ million queries per month are processed by Perplexity (Perplexity, 2025)

7. 15 million monthly active users use Perplexity for AI search (Perplexity, 2025)

8. 40% month-over-month growth in Perplexity's user base through 2025 (Perplexity, 2025)

9. 73% of Perplexity queries are informational or research-focused (Perplexity internal data)

10. 85% of users trust Perplexity's cited sources (user survey data)

Other AI Platforms

11. 500 million monthly users access Google's AI-powered features (Alphabet, 2025)

12. 150 million monthly users use Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft, 2025)

13. 100 million monthly users engage with Claude (Anthropic, 2025)

14. 45 million monthly users use Gemini directly (Google, 2025)

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Search Behavior Shifts

Zero-Click and AI Search

15. 65% of Google searches result in zero clicks (SparkToro, 2025)

16. 40% of Gen Z prefers AI assistants or social media over traditional search (GWI, 2025)

17. 28% of all US adults have used an AI assistant for product research (Pew, 2025)

18. 73% of AI assistant users trust AI recommendations without additional verification (consumer survey, 2025)

19. 52% of users who receive AI recommendations don't visit any website afterward (behavioral study, 2025)

Query Patterns

20. 4.2x longer queries are asked to AI assistants vs. traditional search (avg. 23 words vs. 5.5 words)

21. 67% of AI queries are phrased as questions vs. 32% in traditional search

22. 83% of users ask follow-up questions after initial AI response

23. Top query categories for AI assistants: How-to (34%), Recommendations (28%), Explanations (22%), Comparisons (16%)

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AI Advertising Statistics

ChatGPT Advertising

24. ChatGPT Ads CPMs range from $15-50 depending on category (early data, 2025)

25. ChatGPT Ads CTR averages 3.2% across categories (early data, 2025)

26. 68% of ChatGPT users report noticing sponsored content (user survey)

27. 45% of users find ChatGPT ads "helpful" vs. 23% for traditional display ads

28. $500 million in AI advertising spend projected for 2026 (eMarketer)

Perplexity Advertising

29. Perplexity sponsored answer CPMs range from $20-60 (early data)

30. Perplexity ad engagement rates average 8% including follow-up questions

31. 89% of advertisers in Perplexity beta report "satisfied" with results

AI Advertising Growth

32. 340% growth in AI advertising spend year-over-year (2025 vs. 2024)

33. 12% of digital ad budgets expected to go to AI platforms by 2027 (Gartner)

34. 78% of CMOs plan to allocate budget to AI advertising in 2026 (CMO Survey)

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Impact on Marketing

SEO and Organic Traffic

35. 15% average decline in organic click-through rates since AI Overviews launched (industry reports)

36. 22% of informational queries now show AI Overviews in Google (Semrush, 2025)

37. Featured snippet traffic down 8% since AI summaries expanded (Ahrefs, 2025)

38. Long-tail keyword traffic most impacted by AI search (-18% average)

Brand Impact

39. Brand searches increase 23% on average when brands are mentioned by AI (brand study)

40. AI mentions correlate with 31% higher brand recall vs. traditional search results

41. 65% of consumers say AI recommendation makes them more likely to consider a brand

42. Negative AI mentions impact purchase intent 2.3x more than positive mentions help

B2B Marketing

43. 47% of B2B researchers use AI assistants in vendor evaluation (Demand Gen Report)

44. B2B buyers consult AI an average of 4.2 times during purchase research

45. 71% of B2B buyers trust AI recommendations for initial vendor shortlisting

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AI Visibility and Optimization

Brand Mention Rates

46. Top 3 brands in any category are mentioned in 78% of relevant AI queries

47. Brands outside top 10 are mentioned in less than 5% of category queries

48. Wikipedia presence correlates with 3.2x higher AI mention rates

49. Brands with extensive documentation are mentioned 2.1x more often than minimal-content competitors

Optimization Impact

50. Brands implementing AI optimization see average 45% increase in mention rates within 6 months

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Key Takeaways

The Opportunity

• AI platforms have massive, engaged user bases
• Users trust AI recommendations
• Early advertising results show strong engagement
• AI visibility directly impacts brand consideration

The Challenge

• Zero-click behavior means fewer website visits
• AI representation requires new optimization strategies
• Measurement and attribution are still evolving
• Competition for AI visibility is intensifying

The Imperative

• AI search is not a future trend—it's current reality
• Brands not optimizing for AI are already losing visibility
• Early movers in AI advertising see strong results
• Investment in AI presence compounds over time

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Methodology Notes

Statistics compiled from:

• Platform disclosures (OpenAI, Perplexity, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic)
• Industry research (Gartner, eMarketer, Pew Research, GWI)
• SEO tools and studies (Semrush, Ahrefs, SparkToro)
• Proprietary research and surveys
• Public filings and earnings reports

Some figures are estimates based on available data and industry modeling. Statistics updated regularly as new data becomes available.

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Want to understand how these statistics apply to your brand? Contact AdsX for a custom AI visibility analysis.