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A new report from Adobe states that 77% of Americans who use ChatGPT treat it as a search engine.

Among those surveyed, nearly one in four prefer ChatGPT over Google for discovery, indicating a potential shift in user behavior.

Adobe surveyed 800 consumers and 200 marketers or small business owners in the U.S. All participants self-reported using ChatGPT as a search engine.

ChatGPT Usage Spans All Age Groups

According to the findings, usage is strong across demographics:

• Gen X: 80%
• Gen Z: 77%
• Millennials: 75%
• Baby Boomers: 74%

Notably, 28% of Gen Z respondents say they start their search journey with ChatGPT. This suggests younger users may be leading the shift in default discovery behavior.

Trust In AI Search Is Rising

Adobe’s report indicates growing trust in conversational AI. Three in ten respondents say they trust ChatGPT more than traditional search engines.

That trust appears to influence behavior, with 36% reporting they’ve discovered a new product or brand through ChatGPT. Among Gen Z, that figure rises to 47%.

The top use cases cited include:

• Everyday questions (55%)
• Creative tasks and brainstorming (53%)
• Financial advice (21%)
• Online shopping (13%)

Why Users Choose AI Over Traditional Search

The most common reason people use ChatGPT for search is its ability to quickly summarize complex topics (54%). Additionally, 33% said it offers faster answers with fewer clicks than Google.

Respondents also report that AI results feel more personalized. A majority (81%) prefer ChatGPT for open-ended, creative questions, while 77% find its responses more tailored than traditional search results.

Marketers Shift Focus To AI Visibility

Adobe’s survey suggests businesses are already responding to the shift. Nearly half of marketers and business owners (47%) say they use ChatGPT for marketing, primarily to create product descriptions, social media copy, and blog content.

Looking ahead, two-thirds plan to increase their investment in “AI visibility,” with 76% saying it’s essential for their brand to appear in ChatGPT results in 2025.

What Works In AI-Driven Discovery

To improve visibility in conversational AI results, marketers report the best-performing content types are:

• Data-driven articles (57%)
• How-to guides (51%)

These formats may align well with AI’s tendency to surface factual, instructive, and referenceable information.

Why This Matters

Adobe’s findings highlight the need for marketers to adapt strategies as users turn to AI tools for product discovery.

Instead of replacing SEO, AI visibility can complement it. Brands tailoring content for conversational search may gain an edge in reaching audiences through personalized pathways.

Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

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