OpenAI’s ChatGPT is changing how people search online, and it is only growing. According to Wells Fargo’s (WFC) August 2025 Consumer AI Agent Monitor, the AI assistant continued its steady climb in both global and U.S. search markets last month, slowly taking market share from Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google.
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In July, ChatGPT’s share of search activity grew by 0.6% globally. In the U.S., its share jumped by 1%, faster than the 0.7% increase in June. Wells Fargo says this shows more people are choosing AI chat tools like ChatGPT over regular search engines.
Google Feels the Pressure
While Google’s overall usage grew about 10% year-over-year in July, it was not enough to stop its U.S. market share from slipping. The report noted that Google’s Gemini AI search tool held steady at just 0.9%, a figure Wells Fargo called “disappointing” due to the strong demand for AI tools.
“Consistent share loss to ChatGPT likely necessitates more aggressive action from Google,” the bank wrote, suggesting that Alphabet may need to rethink its strategy to stay competitive.
Looking ahead, Wells Fargo expects Google to fully add its AI features directly into the main search bar by early 2026 to compete with ChatGPT and other AI tools. The bank also thinks Microsoft (MSFT)-backed OpenAI will keep growing, especially after new updates like GPT-5.
GPT-5 Set to Boost OpenAI’s Growth
Launched last week, GPT-5 is expected to be a major growth engine for OpenAI, both strategically and financially. It combines earlier models into one smart system that adjusts to what each user needs. This helps OpenAI attract more users and deepen engagement, especially among companies that want to use AI in their everyday work.
GPT-5 is helping firms in the Healthcare, Finance, and Tech sectors do their work faster and more accurately. Big companies like Amgen (AMGN), Uber (UBER), and Salesforce (CRM) are already seeing better results with tools powered by GPT-5.
Since ChatGPT already has over 700 million weekly users, launching GPT-5 is likely to attract more users and strengthen OpenAI’s position in the AI market.