Bing grows 3% while Google drops 6% in AI-driven search shift

Microsoft’s Bing search engine has gained market share over the past two years while Google has experienced slight declines, marking a notable shift in the search landscape driven by AI integration. This growth represents the first meaningful challenge to Google’s search dominance in years, with Bing benefiting from both direct AI features and backend partnerships with popular AI tools.

The numbers: Recent data from ComScore and StatCounter shows Bing growing while Google shrinks slightly over the past two years.

• Bing has grown by approximately 2% according to ComScore and 3% according to StatCounter since early 2023.
• Google has dropped by 1% in ComScore data and 6% in StatCounter measurements during the same period.
• Google still maintains the vast majority of search users despite these shifts.

What’s driving Bing’s growth: Microsoft attributes the gains to new AI-powered functionality and strategic partnerships that expand Bing’s reach beyond traditional search.

• Bing has integrated Copilot Search directly into its search engine, offering AI-enhanced search experiences.
• The search engine now provides backend web grounding capabilities for major third-party AI chatbots, including ChatGPT and Meta AI.
• These partnerships give Bing’s usage numbers a boost as users interact with AI agents that rely on Bing’s search infrastructure.

What they’re saying: Jordi Ribas, Microsoft’s Head of Search, emphasized the team’s innovation efforts and competitive impact on the industry.

• “Over the last fiscal year, we’ve been thrilled to bring users many innovations like Copilot Search in Bing, and we’re also growing thanks to powering web grounding for third-party leading chatbots including ChatGPT and Meta AI,” Ribas explained.
• “Kudos to the entire team for all their work and innovation in fueling this growth and bringing competition to the search industry.”

Why this matters: The shift signals that users are increasingly willing to experiment with AI-powered alternatives to traditional search, potentially disrupting Google’s long-held monopoly in the space. As AI tools become mainstream, search engines that can effectively integrate these capabilities may capture market share from incumbents, fundamentally reshaping how people access information online.