Until mid-2023, I used Google as my main tool for searching for information on the Net. It was the best way to find usable information, even if it sometimes required lengthy searches, especially when faced with complex or multi-factor queries.
Things have changed dramatically, however, with the groundbreaking arrival of artificial intelligence and, first and foremost, ChatGPT. I've gone from entering dozens of queries into Google's search bar to practically none today. While it was often difficult to identify reliable information, it's now obtained almost instantly with AI. It's no secret that these AIs know everything about everything (or almost everything) and are unbeatable at summarizing and refining results to meet specific needs.
After listening to a post about the impact of AI on search engines, I wanted to learn more. In particular, I investigated whether AI had had an impact on the revenue of search engines like Google.
Here is the Alphabet's (Google) global annual revenue Since 2020, in billions of US dollars (Md$), across all activities: Search, YouTube, Cloud, etc.:
| Year | CA ≈ (Mds $US) |
| 2020 | 182 |
| 2021 | 257 |
| 2022 | 283 |
| 2023 | 307 |
| 2024 | 350 |
These figures are taken from Alphabet's annual reports and financial summaries. Between 2020 And 2024, the turnover has almost doubled, despite the massive arrival of Generative AI. Over the last 12 months, it has already been hovering around 385 billion in annual revenue for 2025, which confirms that the curve continues to rise.
In conclusion, the shift of search engine queries towards AI has not yet impacted their overall revenue. Despite my daily use of AI, as is the case for 500 to 600 million daily users (according to the latest statistics), the machine continues to grow very rapidly. A recent study also indicates that the Advertising still represents more than 50% of Google/Alphabet's revenue in 2025.
So, what is the impact on people like me who switched overnight from internet search engines to AI?
A survey conducted in late 2024 showed, among other things, that more than half of American users still preferred Google to AI tools for obtaining factual information. This raises the question of whether the excessive use of AI, to the detriment of traditional search engines, will ultimately impact the business model of companies like Google.
Here's what the AI thinks:
• One less internet user on Google, out of billions of daily queries, is literally statistical noise.
• The impact of a single individual on Google's revenue is virtually immeasurable.
So what should we think about a change in the way we consume information on the Internet?
• If tens or hundreds of millions of people start doing what I do, then yes, that would start to seriously nibble away at the growth of search engines.
• Some analysts predict that, if the current trend continues, traffic from AI engines could surpass traditional organic traffic around 2028.
In conclusion, here's how I use the internet:
• Remains a minority today,
• But it is clearly heading in the direction of a major trend.
According to ChatGPT, I am among the advanced users who have already replaced Google with AI, while the majority are still at the stage of: "I'm adding AI alongside Google."«
