AI Trends to Watch in 2026

Google Takes Charge as Smaller Players Struggle

Report by Nate Elliott  | Dec 4, 2025

Top Trends to Watch in 2026

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Need-to-Know Trends Reshaping the Digital Future

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Table of Contents
Google will overtake OpenAI for monthly genAI users while smaller platforms flounder
Brands will start paying for visibility in AI, but most of that spending won’t go to AI platforms
More people will use AI on shopping sites than will shop on AI
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About This Report
In 2026, dominant platforms like Google and Amazon will flex their muscle against ChatGPT; smaller players like Perplexity and Claude will need to make either product moves or M&A moves; and AI-focused marketers will spend more on YouTube than ads on AI platforms.
Topics
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Search Marketing
Brand Marketing
Worldwide
Table of Contents
Google will overtake OpenAI for monthly genAI users while smaller platforms flounder
Brands will start paying for visibility in AI, but most of that spending won’t go to AI platforms
More people will use AI on shopping sites than will shop on AI
Sources
Media Gallery

More people will turn to Google for genAI in 2026 than turn to OpenAI, YouTube creators will earn more ad dollars for creating AI visibility than AI platforms do, and Amazon’s on-site AI tools will drive far more spending than ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout.

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Table of Contents

  1. Google will overtake OpenAI for monthly genAI users while smaller platforms flounder
  2. Brands will start paying for visibility in AI, but most of that spending won’t go to AI platforms
  1. More people will use AI on shopping sites than will shop on AI
  2. Sources
  1. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Most People Still Don't Use AI, Leaving Market Leadership Up for GrabsGenerative AI Engines Rarely Cite Links That Appear in Google's Top 10 Search Results
GenAI Is Hardly Being Used for Shopping

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Nate Elliott

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