OpenAI’s ChatGPT claims to have reached around 20% of Google’s search volume, a figure that, if accurate, would make it the world’s second-largest search engine.
ChatGPT consumer product lead Adam Fry made the claim in an interview at an OpenAI dinner in New York on November 2, as cited in a report from Big Technology and Search Engine Roundtable.
But the metric depends on a broad definition. Fry counts “Search-like queries,” any prompt that triggers a web lookup, including questions users might never have typed into a traditional search box.
Since ChatGPT now routinely searches the web for many prompts, independent verification is difficult. Third-party estimates are notably lower; for example, Ahrefs puts ChatGPT at about 12% of Google’s traditional search volume, while seoClarity estimates just 7.5%.
Fry also said ChatGPT now has 1.2 billion weekly active users, up from one billion in two months, and 250 million weekly voice users. He didn’t provide an updated paying-subscriber count beyond the last public figure of 50 million, roughly a 5% conversion rate.
The claim lands as Alphabet’s stock has fallen 13.81% since its October 28 earnings report, where Google acknowledged that AI Mode generates lower revenue per query.
The broader advertising ecosystem is feeling the shift: Taboola reported a 6.9% revenue decline, citing AI summaries and fewer ad impressions, while Criteo called ChatGPT its fastest-growing channel. Anthropic, meanwhile, signed its first news licensing deal with the Associated Press.
