Nearly Half Expect Complete Transition from Search to AI Recommendations
SAN FRANCISCO – Aug. 27, 2025 – Google’s 25-year dominance of business research may be coming to an end. According to new research from Bospar, nearly half of professionals (49.8%) believe AI platforms will completely replace Google for business research by 2030, with an additional 34.2% expecting AI to mostly replace traditional search.
The data reveals a significant generational divide regarding Google’s expected demise: 73.4% of Gen Z professionals believe AI will replace Google completely, compared to just 24.3% of Baby Boomers.
The threat is real and immediate. Currently, 83.4% of professionals expect to use AI for at least 26% of their business research by 2030, with Gen Z leading the charge at 89.3% expected AI adoption.
“Google built a $280 billion business on being the gateway to information,” said Curtis Sparrer, principal of Bospar and pioneer in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). “But when a marketing director asks ChatGPT for vendor recommendations instead of Googling ‘best CRM software,’ the entire discovery process changes. Google shows you links. AI gives you recommendations based on authoritative sources. The companies that get recommended are the ones that invested in strategic PR to earn coverage in industry publications, get positioned as experts in major outlets and build thought leadership that AI platforms cite as credible.”
The adoption timeline varies by demographic: Gen Z expects majority AI adoption within two to three years, while C-level executives who drive the biggest purchasing decisions predict aggressive adoption timelines of two to four years.
“We’re watching the complete transformation of how businesses find solutions,” said Bospar Principal Tom Carpenter. “Google gives you links to explore. AI gives you answers with recommendations based on earned media credibility. When 84% of decision-makers are already buying based on AI’s first suggestion, the companies that show up are the ones with strategic PR programs that establish authority in the sources AI platforms trust. Being invisible to AI means being invisible to future revenue.”
As AI platforms increasingly drive business discovery, companies need GEO alongside traditional SEO. This ensures their brands appear when AI platforms recommend solutions, not just when people search Google.
About This Research
A national online survey of 1,000 U.S. office workers was conducted by Propeller Insights from June 30 to August 7, 2025. Respondents opted into an online database; from there, they were targeted based on demographics. To further confirm qualifications, respondents were asked to verify their information in the survey itself, self-identifying qualifications, with the maximum margin of sampling error was +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
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