AI Search: Fragmentation, Ageing, and Ads
AI search was effectively one product a year ago: ChatGPT. However, according to Similarweb’s 2026 Generative AI Landscape report, that era is already over. The market is booming but also fragmenting rapidly.
Key Findings:
- Generative AI websites saw 9.5 billion monthly visits, a 70% increase from the previous year. App downloads reached 4.4 billion, up 58%.
- ChatGPT remains the largest standalone AI website but its share is declining as competitors like Meta AI, Claude, Grok, and Perplexity gain traction.
- Meta AI grew by 435%, while Claude saw a 349% increase in US monthly active users.
- Google’s AI Overviews now appear on nearly four in ten US searches, integrating AI into the search experience.
- The audience is ageing; under-35s’ usage of generative AI decreased from 61% to 50% between May 2024 and May 2026, while the over-45s’ usage grew.
- A younger cohort is actively opting out of AI, favoring AI-free tools like DuckDuckGo.
- ChatGPT is incorporating ads, with a 26% increase in ad-containing chats in June 2026 compared to May.
Implications for Marketers:
The report serves as a signal for marketers to adapt, as AI referral traffic surges across various sectors, including marketplaces, news, and travel.