New research from Use.AI suggests that for a growing share of young adults, searching the web is no longer the default way to get everyday guidance; conversational AI is.
The mechanics of how young people seek information are quietly changing. According to a recent Use.AI survey of 2,743 U.S. adults aged 18 to 24, 58% of Gen Z respondents say they now turn first to conversational AI rather than traditional search engines when looking for advice, instructions, or solutions to everyday problems. The finding points to a shift not simply in tools, but in expectations around how information should be delivered.
For much of the past two decades, search has required users to translate questions into keywords, scan links, and evaluate sources independently. The Use.AI data suggest that for many Gen Z users, this process increasingly feels secondary to direct, dialog-based interaction. Respondents described conversational AI as faster, clearer, and better suited to practical problem-solving than browsing search results.
The preference is most pronounced around hands-on guidance. 61% of respondents said they rely on chat-based AI to troubleshoot tasks such as cooking, technology setup, or DIY projects. For these same tasks, only 34% reported using search engines as their primary resource. The gap suggests that immediacy and synthesis now outweigh breadth and exploration for many routine information needs.
Trust appears to play a functional, rather than ideological, role. Nearly 47% of respondents said they are comfortable relying on conversational AI to summarise and synthesise information from multiple sources, while 39% said traditional search often requires too much effort to reach a usable answer. Rather than signalling blind confidence in AI, the data point to impatience with fragmented information environments.
The shift is not uniform across the generation. Younger respondents aged 18 to 20 were the most likely to treat conversational AI as their primary information tool, with 63% reporting habitual use. Among those aged 21 to 24, reliance on search engines remains more common, though 52% said chat-based AI is now integrated into their daily routines. The gradient suggests that conversational interaction may become more dominant as younger cohorts age.
Use.AI’s research also highlights boundaries. While lifestyle advice, study help, health tips, and software troubleshooting are frequently routed through AI, more formal research and academic work still leans on traditional search. This split indicates that Gen Z distinguishes between contexts that reward speed and clarity and those that require verification and depth.
The implications extend beyond individual behaviour. If fewer young users navigate websites directly, search-centric models of visibility, education, and content design may erode. Information access becomes mediated not by rankings and links, but by dialogue and delegation. In that environment, the act of “searching” itself begins to look less like exploration and more like conversation.
Taken together, the findings suggest a generational recalibration of how knowledge is accessed and processed. For Gen Z, the defining shift may not be trust in artificial intelligence, but a declining tolerance for friction. As conversational systems absorb more everyday queries, search risks becoming a secondary skill rather than a default habit.
About Use.AI:
Use.AI is a universal AI assistant designed to provide instant access to the world’s most advanced large language models, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, and others, all within a single interface. It supports personal, professional, and creative problem-solving through a clean, minimalist design with voice, image, and file input, enabling users to delegate cognitive tasks, plan, learn, and communicate more effectively. Founded in 2025, Use.AI aims to make AI-powered assistance accessible and practical for everyday life.
Use.AI is a universal AI assistant designed to provide instant access to the world’s most advanced large language models, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, and others, all within a single interface. It supports personal, professional, and creative problem-solving through a clean, minimalist design with voice, image, and file input, enabling users to delegate cognitive tasks, plan, learn, and communicate more effectively. Founded in 2025, Use.AI aims to make AI-powered assistance accessible and practical for everyday life.