Is Google's latest update set to reshape traditional search methods?
As the fervor surrounding Google's landmark 2025 I/O conference starts to dissipate, many are reflecting on the future of web navigation as AI, chatbots, and search continue to intertwine.
Although AI and chatbots have been amongst the fastest-growing technology sectors in the last decade, the use of traditional web search from providers like Google and Bing remains at an all-time high.
However, doubts linger about the AI revolution's potential impact on search.
Google's AI-Infused Search Revolution
At Google I/O 2025, the tech giant unveiled its vision for the future of its Search product line. Known as "AI Mode," this innovation is integrated into every search bar and Chrome installation, transforming search into a back-and-forth, interactive process entirely within Google products.
Unlike separate AI or chatbot products, users can access AI Mode with just a button press, nested within their existing searches. This new feature retrieves and summarizes required information directly, eliminating the need for users to navigate to separate web pages to find answers.
The functionality bears resemblance to OpenAI's ChatGPT using search mode or Google's chatbot, Gemini, albeit in a more incorporated manner.
The Persistence of Search vs. The Emergence of AI
In-depth analyses of the last 24 months of online activity reveal that while chatbot usage grows exponentially, it still lags far behind search traffic by nearly 34 times. The top 10 search engines generated around 1.8 trillion page views between April 2024 and March 2025, while the top 10 chatbots managed a comparatively modest 55.2 billion.
However, the reliability of pageviews as a metric has waned over time. For example, a search for "pet groomer" on traditional search engines might yield broad results, prompting the user to refine the search to "dog groomer." Each of these individual searches registers as a pageview. In contrast, chatbots allow for a one-window, one-pageview solution as users engage in direct conversations with the AI, potentially skewing traditional traffic evaluations.
As chatbots reshape the way users interact with the web, conventional methods of assessing traffic, popularity, and growth may become less applicable. Instead, more accurate measurements might involve examining user engagement, such as time spent on a page. However, such analyses are yet to emerge.
The future of the search industry and the role of chatbots remains uncertain. The upcoming years will undoubtedly see Google, OpenAI, and other players adapt and adjust to this evolving landscape.
- The AI Mode, unveiled at Google I/O 2025, can now provide direct information summaries within a search bar, eliminating the need for users to navigate to separate web pages and reducing the reliance on traditional search traffic.
- The increasing popularity of AI-powered chatbots does not seem to significantly threaten the dominance of search engines, with the top 10 search engines generating around 1.8 trillion page views in comparison to chatbots' 55.2 billion over the same period.
- As AI and chatbots continue to reshape web navigation, the method of assessing user engagement such as time spent on a page may become more critical in evaluating the impact of chatbots on the search industry,, offering a more accurate measurement than traditional metrics like pageviews.
