How AI Is Changing Search Habits
I remember how natural it felt to say we would just “Google it.” For years, information seeking was synonymous with using Google, a routine etched into our minds and habits. Today, we stand at a turning point. Generative AI is reshaping these routines, though not as abruptly as some tech commentary suggests. A recent qualitative study by the Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g), conducted by Kate Moran, Maria Rosala, and Josh Brown and published on August 15, 2025, shows how deeply old habits are ingrained and where AI is beginning to change them (read the NN/g article here).
The Power of Habit
Humans are creatures of habit. Many participants in the study admitted they had never seriously considered trying a different search engine. Google was simply there: preset in the browser, familiar, reliable enough.
Even smaller patterns are surprisingly persistent. Some users skipped over the sponsored results at the top of the page automatically. Nobody could fully explain why, but it just felt “right.” Habits developed over years shape the way people search for information, and they do not disappear overnight.
Breaking these routines requires a clear and tangible benefit.
Where AI Creates Value
Generative AI provides such a benefit. AI-based tools take over tedious steps: formulating queries, comparing sources, resolving contradictions, scanning long texts. Several participants reported that this saved them considerable time.
One of the most visible changes comes through Google’s AI Overviews. A search for “dragonfruit” now delivers a concise description of its appearance, varieties, and taste at the very top of the results page. For many users, that is enough, eliminating the need to click Wikipedia or Healthline.
For users, this is convenient. For content publishers, it is a challenge. As confirmed by a quantitative study from the Pew Research Center, users are significantly less likely to click links once an AI Overview appears.
First Encounters Leave a Mark
The study was most revealing when participants tried AI for information seeking for the first time. One father, for example, initially used Google to look up soccer goal sizes for his son. He took notes on sticky paper, writing down details from different sites. Later, when asked about a plumbing issue, he turned to Gemini for help. After a brief learning curve, he was surprised at how targeted the advice was: “It feels like it saved me time.”
Others reacted in similar ways. Once they experienced AI’s value firsthand, they quickly saw its potential. An older participant even asked how to bookmark Perplexity so she could use it again later.
Such moments matter. They show that even those with little technical confidence are willing to adjust their routines when the benefit is immediate and obvious.
Why Traditional Search Persists
Despite these advantages, traditional search is not disappearing. All participants in the study continued to use Google or other search engines, often to verify or deepen results. Even those comfortable with AI did not rely exclusively on chatbots.
This makes sense: AI can filter and structure information, but for complex decisions — such as evaluating credibility or comparing products — traditional search remains important.
Familiarity as a Competitive Edge
Familiarity plays a decisive role. Many people use ChatGPT because it was the first major large language model and gained the most attention. At the same time, Gemini benefits from its direct integration with Google, which is already the default. Some participants simply said: “I used Bard, now it is Gemini, and I just stayed with it.”
As with the word “to Google,” language hints at behavior. A few participants already referred to ChatGPT simply as “Chat.” Such habits can shape entire markets.
What We Can Learn
Change is happening, but it is slower and more uneven than many AI enthusiasts expect. Habits are powerful. Yet once people experience a concrete advantage, they begin to shift.
The key challenge for designers and product teams is therefore discoverability. It is not only about making AI tools available, but about helping users understand what they can do with them.
Only if that bridge is built will generative AI fully enter our everyday information-seeking practices.
Source: Nielsen Norman Group, “How AI Is Changing Search Behaviors,” study by Kate Moran, Maria Rosala, and Josh Brown, published August 15, 2025, read the NN/g article here.