ChatGPT surges as a source for news while Google stalls

News-related queries on ChatGPT are rapidly increasing. Between January 2024 and May 2025, news-related prompts in ChatGPT rose by 212%, while equivalent Google searches declined by 5%.

A significant divergence started in late 2024, with ChatGPT usage accelerating sharply from January 2025 onward. This suggests users are increasingly turning to generative AI for real-time news insights. Meanwhile, Google’s flat-to-declining trend highlights shifting user preferences and the growing role of AI assistants in information retrieval.

This chart is excerpted from Similarweb's report, GenAI and How It’s Impacting US Publishers