AI-powered chatbots reportedly account for a small but growing share of searches conducted through desktop browsers. The share of those searches in the United States that went to chatbots rather than traditional search engines reached 5.6% in June, up from 2.48% in June 2024 and 1.3% in January 2024. These numbers do not include search traffic from mobile browsers and apps. The share is higher among early adopters of AI-powered chatbots. Among the consumers who were already using these chatbots when Datos began tracking their behavior in April 2024, the share of desktop searches that went to AI reached 40% in June, up from 24% a year earlier. Datos CEO and co-founder Eli Goodman told that this growth marks a change that could be as significant as the introduction of Google’s web browser and the first social media platforms. This development has sparked the creation of AI-optimization startups that aim to help brands have their names show up in AI searches. It has also created an opportunity to include advertising in AI search replies, something Perplexity is experimenting with. Perplexity launched an AI-powered web browser called Comet, saying the browser lets users answer questions and carry out tasks and research from a single interface.