ChatGPT's dominance is cracking against Gemini; its share is at its lowest level since 2023.

 

ChatGPT's dominance is cracking against Gemini; its share is at its lowest level since 2023.

New data suggests that the generative AI landscape, which was almost entirely dominated by OpenAI's ChatGBT chatbot , is showing clear signs of fragmentation as its rival, Google's Gemini, gains strength.

According to SimilarWeb, a company that tracks data in this sector, ChatGBT share of global web traffic among generative AI platforms has fallen to its lowest level since 2023, while Gemini's share exceeded 20% in early 2026, highlighting a significant increase in competitive pressure on OpenAI.

In early January, the SimilarWeb global AI tracking index recorded that ChatGBT captured approximately 64-65% of direct web traffic between AI-powered chatbot sites, according to a report by Tom's Guide, a technology news website, which was reviewed by Al Arabiya Business.
This represents a sharp decline from the platform's share of around 86% a year ago, according to the same dataset.

During the same period, Gemini market share jumped to the 21-22% range, reflecting increased user interest and expanding reach. Gemini's market share has grown by a staggering 315% over the past twelve months.

Industry observers point out that this shift is not just a passing fluctuation; the decline in ChatGPT's share to below the 65% mark – the lowest since its peak in 2023 – highlights that the near-monopoly it once enjoyed in interacting with generative artificial intelligence is now beginning to crack under the pressure of competition.

It is not surprising that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, declared the company to be in a state of "maximum alert" in December, following the release of the "Gemini 3" model.
While ChatGPT remains the single largest source of live AI traffic globally, its declining relative share indicates increasing competitive pressure.

For years, "ChatGPT" has been synonymous with generative artificial intelligence, and the first choice for both chatbot interactions and creative workflows.
Google's strategy—shifting from model performance to leveraging the ecosystem—has recalibrated expectations about who will lead the AI ​​era. Features like large contextual windows and deep integration with everyday applications have already changed practical user behavior in some areas.