Google AI Search Usage Surges, Fueling Growth
Google's investment in AI-powered search is paying off. AI Overviews, launched two years ago, now boasts over 1.5 billion monthly users across 100+ countries. This feature summarizes web results using AI, providing concise answers to user queries like "What is generative AI?" directly at the top of search results.
While impacting traffic for some publishers, Google views AI Overviews and other AI search features as key revenue drivers and engagement boosters. The company introduced ads within AI Overviews last October and recently began testing AI Mode. This new mode allows users to ask complex, multi-part questions within the search flow, rivaling chat-based search interfaces like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Other AI Search Features See Significant Growth
Beyond AI Overviews, other AI-powered search tools are also gaining traction. Circle to Search, which enables users to highlight on-screen content and ask related questions, is now available on over 250 million devices, a significant jump from 200 million late last year. Usage has also increased by nearly 40% quarter-over-quarter.
Visual search via Google Lens, Google's multimodal AI search technology, is experiencing substantial growth as well. CEO Sundar Pichai reports a 5 billion increase in Lens searches since October. Shopping through Lens also saw a 10% rise in Q1 2025.
Growth Amidst Regulatory Scrutiny
This growth comes as Google faces intense regulatory scrutiny regarding its search practices. The U.S. Department of Justice is pressuring Google to spin off Chrome following an illegal online search monopoly ruling. A separate ruling also declared Google's adtech practices a monopoly, potentially leading to a breakup.
