How AI has revolutionised search

Understanding the seismic shift from traditional search engines to AI-powered information discovery and why your business needs to adapt.

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Why AI search matters now

The numbers that explain the fundamental shift in how people discover information.

5B Monthly ChatGPT visits
(#5 website globally)
92% Fortune 500 companies
Already using ChatGPT
£391B Global AI market value
Growing to £1.81T by 2030

The fundamental shift in search behaviour

2025 has seen explosive growth in AI-powered search globally. With ChatGPT.com receiving over 5 billion monthly visits (making it the #5 website globally) and the global AI market worth £391 billion, AI tools are fundamentally changing how people discover information.

Key insight

AI search is projected to capture 15-25% of total search volume by 2030, with the global AI market reaching £1.81 trillion by 2030. Even at this rate, it represents a massive disruption to traditional search.

Who's using AI for information discovery?

  • Students & Researchers
    Heavy usage for learning and academic work
    Primary users
  • Developers
    1/3 of programming queries shifted from Stack Overflow to ChatGPT
    High adoption
  • 25-34 Age Group
    Most engaged demographic, followed by 18-24
    Leading edge

Global fast facts


5B monthly ChatGPT.com visits (#5 website globally)

£391B global AI market value in 2025

59.2% AI search market share held by ChatGPT

58.5% of searches now end without any external click

AI market: £391B in 2025, growing to £1.81T by 2030

85% of Gen Z use AI for research

The evolution timeline

How we got from traditional search to AI-powered information discovery in just three years.

2022-2023: The foundation

ChatGPT launches and traditional search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) begin seeing traffic declines as early adopters experiment with AI assistance.

2024-2025: The explosion

ChatGPT reaches 5 billion monthly visits, becoming the #5 website globally. Global AI market reaches £391 billion in 2025. 83% of companies now prioritise AI in business strategies.

August 2025: The GPT-5 revolution

GPT-5 launches with PhD-level expertise, 45% fewer hallucinations, and automatic reasoning switching. 92% of Fortune 500 companies now use ChatGPT.

2025-2030: The takeover

AI search projected to capture 62% of total search volume globally. Global AI market expected to reach £1.81 trillion by 2030, with 35.9% annual growth.

What this means for your business

The AI search revolution presents both significant challenges and unprecedented opportunities for businesses worldwide.

The challenge

AI chatbots drive 95-96% less referral traffic

Unlike Google search results that link to websites, AI tools often provide direct answers without sending users to source websites.

Key global impacts:

  • Zero-Click Dominance: 58.5% of searches now end without any external click globally
  • Business Adoption: 35% of companies currently use AI, with 42% considering adoption
  • Productivity Impact: AI expected to improve employee productivity by 40% by 2035
  • Competitive Edge: 87% of organisations believe AI gives them competitive advantage

The opportunity

Early adopters see massive growth

Businesses optimising for AI discovery are seeing 200-900% growth in AI-driven referrals.

Global success metrics:

  • Business Adoption: 83% of companies prioritise AI in their business plans
  • Search Value: Website visitors from AI search are 4.4x more valuable than organic search visitors
  • Employment Growth: 97 million people expected to work in AI by 2025
  • Revenue Enhancement: Netflix generates £1 billion annually from AI-powered recommendations
  • Market Growth: AI industry expanding at 35.9% CAGR through 2030

What's next: GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)

Just as SEO helped websites rank on Google, the next stage is Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO. GEO is about making sure your site can be found, trusted and recommended by AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Seen-By.ai makes GEO simple by showing you exactly how AI systems interpret your site.

The future is GEO

Traditional SEO targets search engine rankings, but GEO focuses on how AI systems understand and recommend your content. The goal is creating genuinely helpful information that AI assistants can easily comprehend and confidently recommend to users.

Traditional SEO

Focus on ranking high in search engine results pages (SERPs) through keyword optimisation, backlinks, and technical SEO.

Modern GEO

Optimise for AI comprehension and trust to get recommended by AI assistants through clear, authoritative content.

Ready to adapt to the AI search revolution?

Don't let your business fall behind. Discover how visible you are in the new era of AI-powered information discovery.

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Research sources: Grand View Research, MIT Sloan Management Review, PwC, Semrush, Forbes, Exploding Topics, Analytics Insight