AI Is Bigger Than You Think

The numbers most people are missing

A study of AI versus search engine usage as of late 2025 reveals something most marketers have not yet internalized. AI is not replacing search. It is adding to it. The total combined usage of search engines and AI increased by 26% worldwide in 2025 compared to 2024.

The scale of AI usage today

AI has reached 56% of global search volume and 34% in the US. That translates to 45 billion monthly sessions. For context, ChatGPT alone holds 89.4% of LLM market share worldwide, with Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude splitting the remainder.

One critical data point: 83% of AI usage happens via mobile apps, not desktop browsers. Most reports that claim AI usage is overstated are measuring only web traffic and missing the majority of actual usage.

What this means for your business

If your business is not optimized to be cited in AI answers, you are invisible to a channel that is now comparable in scale to traditional search. The window to establish AI citation authority is open but first-mover advantage in any channel does not last forever.

Key takeaways:

• AI has reached 56% of global search volume
• ChatGPT holds 89% of LLM market share
• 83% of AI usage is on mobile apps, not web
• Total search plus AI usage is growing, not shrinking
• Businesses not present in AI citations are missing an increasingly large share of discovery