More than three years after the launch of ChatGPT, Google continues to dominate the global search market, although the rapid adoption of generative AI tools is contributing to changes in how users discover and access information online.

While Google still accounts for roughly 90% of the search market, competitors are reporting increased activity. DuckDuckGo recently said installation rates are rising by as much as 40% per week, while Microsoft’s Bing surpassed one billion users for the first time during the last quarter.

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At the same time, app rankings and usage data suggest that AI assistants are becoming a larger part of the search landscape. ChatGPT currently ranks among the most downloaded free applications on Apple’s iOS platform, while Anthropic’s Claude and Google Gemini continue to gain visibility among consumers exploring AI-powered alternatives.

AI Backlash Is Creating A Market For Alternatives

Not all users, however, are embracing AI-driven search experiences.

A Pew Research Center study published in March found that roughly half of Americans felt more concerned than excited about the growing role of artificial intelligence in everyday life. For some users, that has translated into a preference for more traditional search experiences.

DuckDuckGo recently introduced browser extensions that allow users to access noai.duckduckgo.com, a version of its search engine designed to remove AI-generated features and summaries.

Lily Ray, vice president of search engine optimisation and AI search at Amsive, said some users still prefer to navigate search results independently rather than rely on AI-generated responses.

“A lot of people use Google because Google is like the front page of the internet, but they want to go on these journeys and do the clicking and searching themselves and make their own decisions,” she said. “They want to be in control of the process.”

Google’s Talent Drain Adds To The Pressure

Alongside changes in user behaviour, competition for AI talent remains intense across the technology sector. Last week, Noam Shazeer, vice president of engineering and co-lead of Gemini AI, announced his departure from Google for OpenAI. Shortly afterwards, DeepMind vice president and engineering fellow John Jumper said he would be joining Anthropic.

Following the announcements, Alphabet shares declined 5% on Monday. Analysts at Jefferies, however, described the departures as part of a broader industry-wide competition for AI talent rather than evidence of company-specific weakness.

According to the firm, frontier AI companies continue to compete aggressively for researchers and engineers as demand for specialised expertise increases.

Why Google Cannot Afford To Stand Still

For Google, generative AI has represented an existential risk since ChatGPT’s launch in late 2022. The threat is twofold. First, Google could lose market share as users move to new search tools. Second, in trying to compete, it could cannibalize its own search business in favor of a new information model that has yet to prove itself as a durable ad platform.

Advertising still accounts for about three-quarters of Alphabet’s revenue. That margin-rich business funds everything from long-term bets such as Waymo to massive spending on AI infrastructure, which now approaches $200 billion.

At its annual developer conference last month, Google said it would redesign the search box for the first time in 25 years, moving the “AI Mode” button directly into the box. The search button, by contrast, now sits below it.

“This is the biggest upgrade to our iconic search box since its debut over 25 years ago,” Elizabeth Reid, who leads Google’s search organization, said at the event.

Google’s image-generation tool Nano Banana is also accessible from the search box via the plus button. On the Google Search mobile app, a large “AI Mode” button now sits nearly side by side with the standard search field.

Publishers, Users And Regulators Respond

Google’s challenge is no longer confined to user preference. It also extends to publishers, many of whom say traffic has fallen as AI summaries reduce the need to click through to outside websites.

Studies from data firms such as SparkToro and Similarweb suggest that roughly 68% of Google searches now end without a single click to an external site. That dynamic has alarmed publishers and content owners who depend on search referrals for reach and revenue.

Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch recently said his company has been planning for declining search traffic for years. “Last year, I told our teams to assume there’s no search,” he said. “You have to have your business plan as if search is zero.”

The concern is not limited to the open web. Google has also been sued in connection with alleged harms tied to chatbot use, while the company and OpenAI have both faced wrongful death lawsuits filed by families of people who allegedly committed violence and self-harm after interacting with AI systems.

Google, for its part, has acknowledged the size of the shift. In a court filing last year amid its antitrust dispute with the Justice Department, the company said the open web was “already in rapid decline,” a statement that stood in contrast to its more public defense of search.

The Market Still Believes In Google — For Now

Despite recent volatility, Alphabet shares remain more than 100% higher than a year ago. The company continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence while maintaining a dominant position in search.

During the latest earnings call, CEO Sundar Pichai said AI-powered products such as AI Overviews and AI Mode are driving higher levels of engagement and helping increase overall search activity.

“AI continues to drive search usage, and queries are at an all-time high,” Pichai said.

As AI tools become more deeply integrated into search products, technology companies are balancing several competing priorities: improving user experiences, supporting publishers, developing sustainable business models, and responding to evolving consumer preferences. The pace of adoption suggests that AI will remain a central focus of competition across the search industry in the years ahead.