March 16, 2026 — A Graphite.io study reveals that AI assistants dominate 56% of global search volume, per Graphite.io study, with AI tools generating approximately 45 billion monthly sessions worldwide.
Graphite.io CEO Ethan Smith published the analysis titled “AI Is Much Bigger Than You Think” in early March 2026, combining Similarweb data on web traffic and mobile app sessions for major AI assistants including ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude. The study compares this to the top six search engines, finding AI usage equals 34% of search volume in the US. ChatGPT holds 89% of global AI sessions, and 83% of AI usage occurs in mobile apps worldwide.
Since July 2025, Worldwide visits to AI reached 56% the size of search.
The report notes that search-like “asking” prompts account for 28% of global search volume, with total search plus AI volume growing 26% worldwide since 2023, indicating market expansion rather than cannibalization.
Coverage in Industry Media
Search Engine Land covered the findings on March 9, 2026, authored by Danny Goodwin, emphasizing AI assistants dominate 56% of global search volume, per Graphite.io study:
AI tools now generate 45 billion monthly sessions worldwide — about 56% of search engine volume, according to a study by Graphite.io CEO Ethan Smith.
The article highlights Google’s share of search-related traffic falling to 71% globally in Q4 2025 from 89% in 2023, a US AI growth surge of 300% year-over-year by December 2025, and a global AI plateau since July 2025.
ALM Corp analyzed implications for marketers, noting AI assistants dominate 56% of global search volume, per Graphite.io study underscores 4-5x underestimations from web-only data and the need for generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies like structured data.
Social Media Buzz
The study gained traction on LinkedIn, with posts from Ethan Smith and others. On X, user @heyalexhey shared: AI assistants dominate 56% of global search volume, per Graphite.io study, noting ChatGPT’s near-90% AI dominance.
MSN republished Search Engine Land’s coverage, amplifying AI assistants dominate 56% of global search volume, per Graphite.io study.
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