Since 1998, the world’s most treasured Google has become an everyday phenomenon for consuming information. With the simple click of a button, humans can learn immediately about a simple or complex topic, without the need to barely lift a finger. But while “Google it” has become a verbal memory, one other system is slowly making its way to the forefront.
Google has always been at the core of our lives, where real-time data shows that it is the king of all search engines. Per day, there are approximately 16.4 billion Google searches—the U.S. accounting for 19.44% of all traffic. Similarly, in 2025 alone, Google is projected to reach an upward of 5 trillion searches.
But as Google continues supplying vast amounts of information quickly, that doesn’t mean it is the only source people are using today. Behind all the glory, artificial intelligence (AI) is making a boastful entrance.
AI relies on the ability of a robot to perform tasks that would otherwise require human knowledge. Its systems are fed existing information from books, the internet, and other resources to help generate specific responses. When they are prompted with an ask, they provide an output based on the data given to them.
Because of the spike in AI, “Google it” is increasingly being replaced by “Ask chat.” When folks are looking for more dynamic, strategic responses, AI has the ability to provide an answer that Google can no longer match.
As one AI expert explains it, both are becoming essential resources of the world, so it is important to use each responsibly.
“The future isn’t AI vs. Google—it’s AI plus Google plus social plus everything else. Your brand needs to show up where influence happens, not just where volume lives. That’s why I focus on LLMO: because in high-stakes moments, being invisible in AI isn’t a small problem—it’s a costly one,” Shane Tepper said, who specializes in AI-native strategy and LLM optimization.
Comparatively, AI platforms are nowhere close to Google just yet, but numbers show they are likely to near each other soon. According to a recent report, ChatGPT receives about 2.5 billion prompts everyday. Of those prompts, U.S. users account for at least 330 million.
But the deeper question is: Should we fear the future of Google?
Experts say there’s nothing to worry about. In fact, Google is even using its own AI tool called AI Overviews. Introduced just over a year ago, this is a feature that utilizes generative AI to provide concise, informative summaries of search results. It is designed to give a quick overview of a topic, typically shown at the top of the Google search page.
In developing AI Overviews, there are much larger concerns, however, about the impacts it poses on the overall internet. With its billions of users getting content handed to them, Google holds all the power. As a result, online publishers risk a major loss in revenue, and content creators who rely on organic search traffic are suddenly put on the line.
With the blending of Google and its own version of AI, rest assured the search tool is here to stay. Yet, as AI begins to advance further, and users find more reasons to use it, critics warn that it is rapidly becoming a demanding need.
So, how are we to learn new information these days? Is our trusted Google the answer? Or is AI the core of our industry right now?
The reality of it is, both are useful and both are prominent in today’s modern society. For those wanting the option to search and find a topic themselves, perhaps Google is the way. For those needing a detailed answer right off the bat, maybe AI is your preference.
Regardless, the internet is always changing. So while “Google it” and “Ask chat” are working in proximity together right now, one more simple advancement could determine the outlook of the other. Only time will tell.