A New Era of Online Search? A Large-Scale Study of User Behavior and Personal Preferences during Practical Search Tasks with Generative AI versus Traditional Search Engines

Generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT are emerging as popular alternatives to traditional search engines for finding information online. However, their impact on user behavior and experience in everyday tasks is still unclear. We conducted a large-scale study (n = 1,526) with a diverse U.S. sample, using a custom-build software to track participants’ behavior during practical search tasks with either ChatGPT or Google. ChatGPT users compared to Google users were faster and more likely to find the correct answers. Nevertheless, participants expressed a subjective preference for Google, with ChatGPT preference more strongly dependent on users’ personality profiles. Importantly, ChatGPT users relied significantly less on primary web sources, suggesting it is more often seen as a one-stop solution rather than a connective hub for information retrieval. These findings provide key insights into the transformative effects of generative AI on everyday search, highlighting both its benefits and challenges for user interaction and trust.