TLDR: New data reveals a significant shift in online search behavior, with Generation Z and millennials increasingly opting for AI chatbots over traditional search engines. This trend, led by Gen Z, has implications for brands as AI-generated answers often bypass website links, necessitating a re-evaluation of digital visibility strategies.
Recent data from PYMNTS Intelligence indicates a notable change in how younger demographics conduct online searches, with AI chatbots emerging as a preferred tool. This shift is particularly pronounced among Generation Z and millennials, who are increasingly turning to AI-powered conversational platforms like ChatGPT for both work and personal inquiries. Two-thirds of Gen Z consumers, along with their slightly older “zillennial” counterparts, are already utilizing these AI tools, in stark contrast to baby boomers, 73% of whom report no usage at all.
This evolving search landscape has significant implications for brands and their digital visibility. As AI chatbots often provide direct answers rather than a list of website links, businesses are compelled to adapt their strategies to ensure their content is discoverable within chatbot responses. Experts suggest that brands should prioritize updating structured data, using verified listings, and ensuring their content is easily accessible by chatbots to maintain visibility.
The growth of AI chatbot usage in search is evident in recent statistics. In June 2025, AI-powered chatbots accounted for 5.6% of desktop search traffic in the United States, a figure that has more than doubled since June 2024 (2.48%) and quadrupled since January 2024 (1.3%). Among early adopters of AI chatbots, the shift is even more dramatic, with 40% of desktop searches going to AI in June 2025, up from 24% a year prior. This growth, while still a small percentage of overall search traffic compared to giants like Google (which saw 1.63 trillion visits between April 2024 and March 2025), signifies a rapidly changing consumer behavior.
Leading the charge in the chatbot space is OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which captured over 86% of total chatbot traffic between April 2024 and March 2025. Other platforms like Perplexity, Grok, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek are also contributing to the surge in AI chatbot visits, which globally increased by nearly 81% year-on-year, reaching 55.2 billion during the same period.
Consumers are embracing AI chatbots for their ability to provide straightforward answers and solutions, often in a single exchange, bypassing the need to sift through multiple links and advertisements. This preference is leading some to view AI chatbots as “life advisors,” capable of assisting with a wide range of tasks from medical queries to personal finance. The shift is so profound that Datos CEO and co-founder Eli Goodman has likened its potential impact to the introduction of Google’s web browser or the first social media platforms.
Also Read:
- Consumer Adoption of AI Search Tools Surges, Yext Report Reveals Daily Usage by Nearly Half of Users
- Consumer Comfort with AI Shopping Agents on the Rise, WARC Report Reveals
For businesses, the traditional rules of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are being fundamentally reshaped. David Hunter, CEO of SEO analytics company Local Falcon, notes that AI Overviews and AI Mode are transforming how businesses appear in search results. AI chatbots prioritize relevance, prominence, and authority over traditional metrics like link volume, favoring brands that offer “citable evidence” of expertise through real data, FAQs, testimonials, and contextual content. This presents an opportunity for smaller businesses with proven expertise to gain visibility over larger, well-trafficked retail sites.
