New research from YouGov shows AI is part of Australians’ regular online search journey, with more than 70% using the tool. However, just 16% say it is their primary starting point. 

YouGov’s new report, ‘How AI is changing online discovery in 2026’, reveals that 36% of Australian online searchers use an AI assistant to start at least one new search every day. 

When it comes to online searching, the report data suggests that traditional search engines still dominate but AI assistants are becoming an established part of the process of discovering and evaluating information. This is particularly true among younger generations, with almost six in 10 Gen Z Australians and close to 50% of Millennials starting at least one new search query per day using an AI assistant, compared to 14% of Baby Boomers. 

With just 16% of Australians overall saying they use AI as their primary starting point, the data shows that currently AI is part of the overall search process, complementing traditional search engines and not overtaking them. AI assistants were most often (43%) used along with other sources and a quarter said they used it after search engines or other information sources. 

According to the report, AI use is growing, with 60% of existing Australian AI users using AI assistants more today than a year ago, and more than half admitting they expect to increase their use further over the next year. 

Despite this, the data from the report shows trust is a hurdle with just 39% of Australian online searchers saying they trusted the information provided by AI assistants, a figure less than traditional search engines and maps. Less than half (49%) of AI users themselves say they trust information from AI. 

The report also revealed the ways in which Australians use AI for search. The most common use is to get a direct answer to a question (50%), followed by summarising information (37%), verifying information from other sources (35%) and comparing options (35%). 

The search journey doesn’t typically conclude with AI, with only 15% of people reporting they usually stop searching after getting an AI-generated answer. The study also showed a third of people clicked through to the links provided by AI and 26% compared information with other websites before making a decision. 

The YouGov report reveals how, while AI assistants are increasingly becoming a regular part of online discovery of information, consumers’ search behaviours are complex and AI information is not the end point of their journey. Particularly for brands, trustworthiness is an important piece of the puzzle, alongside discoverability.