Key Takeaways
- Google searches on Apple’s Safari browser dropped last month for the first time in 22 years.
- Apple’s Eddy Cue suggested the rise of AI search tools is a likely cause.
- This decline could impact the multi-billion dollar payments Apple receives from Google to be the default search engine.
- The shift towards AI for information is also affecting website traffic from traditional search.
For the first time in over two decades, Google searches conducted within Apple’s Safari browser saw a decline last month. This unprecedented dip was highlighted by Apple’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, during Google’s ongoing antitrust trial.
Cue pointed to the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence as a key factor. He mentioned that Apple is even considering integrating AI into Safari. It seems people are turning more to AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot for answers, rather than relying solely on Google Search.
This trend has significant financial implications. Google currently pays Apple an estimated $20 billion annually to keep its search engine as the default choice in Safari. A drop in search volume could potentially reduce this lucrative revenue stream for Apple. Cue admitted to losing sleep over the thought of Apple’s finances without Google’s search payments, according to The Verge.
The broader shift towards AI for information gathering isn’t just an Apple-Google concern. As companies increasingly adopt AI, websites that traditionally benefited from search engine clicks are seeing less traffic. This is proving to be a major challenge for some online businesses.
When questioned about these concerns from independent site owners, Google Search vice president Pandu Nayak reportedly offered little reassurance, stating he couldn’t provide “any guarantees” that the situation would improve for them.
