ChatGPT now handles a fifth of Google's search volume, OpenAI says
OpenAI says ChatGPT search queries now equal 20 percent of Google's volume, and it is leaning harder into ads. Here is what that means for Indian brands and users.
Key points
- OpenAI said ChatGPT now runs search queries equal to 20 percent of Google's volume, announced by product lead Adam Fry on Monday.
- OpenAI counts only prompts that trigger a web search, and did not disclose the source of its Google comparison figure.
- OpenAI is expanding sponsored product images in ChatGPT, which could open a new ad channel for Indian brands and agencies.
Photo: Prathapwagle / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped). Representational image.
The News
OpenAI says ChatGPT now handles search queries equal to 20 percent of the volume Google processes, a figure that puts the chatbot well beyond the reach of any conventional rival search engine. Adam Fry, who leads consumer product for ChatGPT, shared the number with reporters at a press event on Monday.
Fry explained that OpenAI counts a search only when a user's prompt triggers a web lookup. Requests such as defining a word or giving a simple how-to answer are excluded. He did not say where the Google comparison figure came from, so the ratio cannot be independently checked.
Fry also addressed advertising. He told reporters that ads had not hurt usage of the product and that most users appear not to mind them. Last month OpenAI said ChatGPT would begin showing images of sponsored products and services, going beyond the earlier format of a brand name, logo and link.
Why It Matters
The comparison point is striking. During the 2023 US antitrust trial against Google, Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella testified that Bing held roughly 3 percent of the search market after more than ten years of effort. A chatbot claiming a fifth of Google's query volume within a few years of launch suggests the contest has moved from rival search boxes to conversational answers.
The advertising remarks matter just as much. Search became one of the most profitable businesses in technology because intent-rich queries are easy to sell against. OpenAI is now openly building the same engine, presenting answers inside what it calls "Intelligent UI", with richer sponsored placements, as it heads towards a possible listing that The Verge reports could come early next year. Google, meanwhile, keeps expanding AI Overviews and cutting traditional clicks to outside websites.
Indian Angle
India is central to this shift. OpenAI has described India as one of its largest user markets, opened an office in New Delhi and launched its low-cost ChatGPT Go plan here first. Rival Perplexity has taken a telecom route, bundling its paid tier with Airtel connections. If a fifth of query volume is already flowing to ChatGPT globally, Indian users on cheap data are likely to accelerate the trend rather than lag it.
For Indian brands and agencies, the ad formats Fry described are the practical story. Much of India's digital marketing budget is built around Google search and YouTube. Sponsored product images inside chatbot answers would create a new auction that D2C brands, travel platforms and fintech lenders will need to test, and measuring returns there will be harder because there is no familiar results page to track.
Regulators have a stake too. The Competition Commission of India has already penalised Google Rs 1,337.76 crore over Android practices, and Indian news publishers, through cases such as ANI's suit against OpenAI in the Delhi High Court, are contesting how AI firms use their content. A chatbot that answers queries without sending traffic onwards sharpens both debates, and MeitY's evolving AI governance framework may need to address how sponsored answers are labelled.
FAQ
What exactly did OpenAI claim?
OpenAI said the number of search queries run through ChatGPT is now equal to 20 percent of the number run through Google. The claim was made by Adam Fry, ChatGPT's consumer product lead, at a press event on Monday. OpenAI counts only prompts that trigger a web search, not simple definitions or explanations.
Can the 20 percent figure be verified?
Not yet. Fry did not disclose the source of the Google query volume used for the comparison, and Google has not confirmed the ratio. Readers should treat it as a company claim.
Will ChatGPT show more ads?
It appears so. OpenAI said last month it would start displaying images of sponsored products and services in ChatGPT, rather than only a name, logo and link. Fry said ads had not dented usage and suggested the company could be doing more with them, which points to wider ad formats ahead.
What does this mean for Indian advertisers?
Indian marketers who rely mostly on Google search ads may need to budget for experiments inside chatbots as these placements expand locally. Measurement tools are still immature, so small, well-tracked pilots make more sense than large shifts in spending.
This story was reported by The Verge. Read the full original coverage at The Verge.