Image Source: Pixabay

For the first time since Google (GOOGL) became the default search engine in Safari, its share of search activity is declining. This isn’t a glitch. It’s a signal.

During Apple (AAPL) executive Eddy Cue’s testimony in the Department of Justice’s antitrust trial against Google, he confirmed that Google pays Apple roughly $20 billion a year to be the default search engine across Apple devices. The justification? According to Cue, Google simply delivers the best user experience.

But that experience is starting to shift, not because of a better search engine, but because search itself is being disrupted.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and even Apple’s own Spotlight and Siri integrations are reshaping how users seek information. Why type a query into Safari if you can ask an AI assistant and get a summarized, contextually relevant response immediately?

The DOJ’s trial paints Google’s deal with Apple as anti-competitive, but market behavior might render that argument moot. If AI-driven discovery becomes the norm, Google’s dominance (propped up by enormous default-placement payments) will be undermined by irrelevance, not regulation.

While Apple says it has no plans to develop its own search engine, its exploration of AI integrations and upcoming Apple Intelligence features could accelerate this shift. Even if Apple continues to collect billions from Google, it’s clear that the future of search won’t be limited to a text box and ten blue links.

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