AI alters how individuals look up information online
(MENAFN) Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way people search for information online, delivering instant answers and significantly decreasing user clicks to traditional websites, according to industry data.
AI-enhanced search tools from platforms like Google, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are increasingly providing users with immediate responses, reducing the need to visit external news outlets, informational pages, or shopping websites.
In the U.S., data from SimilarWeb showed that search-driven traffic declined across multiple sectors between 2024 and 2025. Travel and tourism websites experienced a 20% drop, while news and media sites saw a 17% decrease. E-commerce traffic fell by 9%, finance and food by 7%, and lifestyle sites by 5%.
Wikipedia, once among the most visited websites globally, saw its average daily visitors fall from 165 million in March 2022 to 128 million in March 2025—a 23% decline since the launch of ChatGPT.
According to BrightEdge, Google’s AI Overviews—rolled out about a year ago—have fueled a rise in AI-based queries, leading to a 30% reduction in direct clicks to websites.
A separate analysis by The Decoder reported that searches for news content via ChatGPT increased by 212% in 2025 compared to the previous year. In contrast, news-related searches on Google grew by just 5% over the same period.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has also revealed plans to launch its own web browser, directly challenging Google Chrome. This move is expected to further disrupt internet browsing habits, as it combines AI capabilities with direct web access.
By integrating search and browsing, OpenAI aims to collect more firsthand user data, intensifying competition with Google—which still relies on advertising for about 75% of its total revenue.
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