Consumer Use of Google for Discovery Declines

Sixty-nine percent of artificial intelligence assistant users now use Google less than before, with 32 percent turning to AI first for information, edging out the 28 percent who still go to Google first, according to new data from Clutch Research.

As AI becomes the dominant starting point for product and company research, businesses that aren't visible in AI-generated answers risk being overlooked before the customer journey even begins, the firm warned.

"If your business isn't showing up accurately in AI-generated answers, you may be invisible at exactly the moment a potential customer is forming an opinion," said Jeanette Godreau, a Clutch analyst.

The top AI use cases, searching for information (55 percent), getting recommendations (42 percent), and comparing options (39 percent), all happen before customers ever reach businesses, the research found.

Clutch also found that nearly three in four users (72 percent) engage with AI tools daily.

And when they do, 56 percent of users regularly encounter incorrect AI responses, yet 42 percent trust AI information at face value, it said, noting that outdated or inconsistent information across the web can quietly shape how potential customers perceive companies before they ever visit their websites.

The data signals for businesses that visibility inside AI platforms is becoming as critical as traditional search presence. With 55 percent of ChatGPT users more likely to trust custom GPTs from companies they already recognize, brand familiarity is now a trust signal within AI ecosystems, Clutch said. And with 27 percent of users unaware that custom GPTs even exist, businesses that establish a presence now have a clear first-mover advantage, it added.