Similarweb’s data shows that Microsoft-owned Bing has experienced a surge in page visits and is competing more effectively against market leader Google following the integration of OpenAI’s GPT-4.
According to data gathered until March 20, page visits on Bing have increased by 15.8% since the introduction of its AI-powered version on February 7, while Google has seen a decline of nearly 1%.
These statistics are an initial indication of the advantage that the Windows creator has gained in the rapidly evolving contest with Google for generative AI supremacy.
These findings highlight an unusual opening for Microsoft to gain traction in the search market, valued at over $120 billion and dominated by Google, with over 80% market share for decades.
According to Gil Luria, an analyst at D.A. Davidson & Co, Bing is poised to increase its market share in search in the upcoming months, particularly if Google persists in delaying the integration of generative AI into its offering.
Although Bing AI has been accessible to most users worldwide since February, Google only began publicly releasing its chatbot Bard on Tuesday.
According to Luria, “Bing has less than a tenth of Google’s market share, so even if it converts 1% or 2% of users, it will materially benefit Bing and Microsoft.”
Furthermore, app downloads for Bing have surged globally by eight times following the integration of AI, according to Data. AI. Meanwhile, downloads for the Google search app declined by 2% during the same timeframe.
However, some analysts suggest that Google, which overtook then-leader Yahoo to become the dominant search provider in the early 2000s, could overcome these initial challenges and maintain its lead.
“Google’s ranking algorithm can provide a competitive advantage over those of its rivals,” remarked Yongjei Jeong, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities in South Korea, in reference to how Google’s algorithm helped it surpass Yahoo Search.
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