55% of People Are Using Google Less Since Gen AI Tools Arrived

A recent survey by The Information revealed that 77% of its 1,088 subscribers said they’re using traditional search engines like Google less, thanks to generative AI tools like ChatGPT. That’s a big shift in how people search for information. To see how this compares with a different audience, I ran a similar poll on X (formerly Twitter), and my results were a bit different—55% of respondents said they’re using Google less.

Amir Efrati from The Information shared the original survey results on X, highlighting how 77% of their subscribers are turning to AI-powered tools for certain queries instead of Google. Curious, I conducted my own poll and gathered 917 votes. Although I could only offer four response options (while The Information had five), I think the results are still pretty comparable.

Interestingly, my poll showed a lower percentage—closer to 55%. But that makes sense, considering my audience mostly consists of SEO professionals and search marketers. These people rely heavily on Google, so it’s no surprise they aren’t ditching it as quickly as other groups might.

The 77% figure from The Information felt quite high to me, but then again, their subscribers tend to be a highly knowledgeable and privileged audience. Maybe they’re quicker to adopt cutting-edge tools like ChatGPT.