AI tools emerge as mainstream search option for users in India: Survey

More than half of Indian users now rely on AI assistants and chatbots for information, with many using them alongside traditional search methods, a YouGov survey has found

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming a mainstream way to search for information, complementing traditional sources, with more than one in two people now turning to AI assistants and chatbots for information, according to a survey.

 

Twenty-seven per cent of respondents use AI tools as the starting point for a search, while 36 per cent use AI after using other forms of search, a survey by YouGov showed.

 

It surveyed 1,004 Indian adults aged 18 and above.

 

The survey said that, among AI users, the leading use cases include directly answering questions, verifying information from other sources, summarising information and comparing options.

 

AI also enjoys a high level of trust among Indian users, ahead of marketplaces, news websites, video platforms, online communities and social media.

 

“The bigger question is how that trust becomes durable enough for AI to play a more central role in the search journey. Consumers still rely on multiple sources, official websites, source links and other signals to decide whether information is credible. The future of search in India may therefore be less a battle between links and answers than a race to deliver both: fast, useful responses backed by visible proof,” said Edward Hutasoit, general manager, YouGov India & Indonesia.