TLDR: A recent Adobe report indicates that nearly 80% of Americans are now utilizing ChatGPT for search purposes, with a significant portion preferring it over traditional search engines like Google. The study highlights a growing trust in conversational AI across all age demographics and a strategic shift among marketers towards optimizing for AI visibility.
A new report from Adobe, released on July 14, 2025, highlights a significant shift in how Americans conduct online searches, revealing that 77% of U.S. consumers who use ChatGPT are now treating it as a search engine. The study further indicates that nearly one in four of these users prefer ChatGPT over Google for information discovery, signaling a potential transformation in digital behavior.
The comprehensive survey by Adobe included 800 consumers and 200 marketers or small business owners across the United States. All participants self-reported their use of ChatGPT as a search engine, providing a focused insight into this emerging trend.
ChatGPT’s adoption for search spans across all age groups, demonstrating broad appeal. The findings show robust usage among Gen X (80%), Gen Z (77%), Millennials (75%), and Baby Boomers (74%). Notably, Gen Z appears to be at the forefront of this shift, with 28% of respondents from this demographic stating they initiate their search journey directly with ChatGPT.
Trust in conversational AI is also on the rise, according to the report. Three in ten respondents expressed greater trust in ChatGPT compared to conventional search engines. This increasing confidence is influencing consumer behavior, as 36% of users reported discovering new products or brands through ChatGPT. This figure climbs to 47% among Gen Z.
Users are leveraging ChatGPT for a variety of purposes, with the top use cases including: everyday questions (55%), creative tasks and brainstorming (53%), financial advice (21%), and online shopping (13%). The primary driver for choosing ChatGPT over traditional search engines is its ability to quickly summarize complex topics, cited by 54% of users.
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The shift in consumer behavior is also prompting a strategic response from the marketing sector. Nearly half of marketers and business owners (47%) are already integrating ChatGPT into their marketing efforts, primarily for generating product descriptions, social media copy, and blog content. Looking ahead, two-thirds of these professionals plan to increase their investment in ‘AI visibility,’ with a substantial 76% deeming it essential for their brand to appear in ChatGPT results by 2025.
