The artificial intelligence (AI) market is undergoing a new phase of transformation, with the emergence of increasingly robust competitors to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Data from Google Trends analyzed by Do Follow, a link-building agency, shows that Deepseek and Gemini are the major highlights in the AI race in recent months.
Over the last 12 months (from early April 2024 to early April 2025), searches for Deepseek grew by more than 700%, while Gemini saw an increase of over 450%. ChatGPT, though still the market leader, had a growth of over 130%, followed by the terms “GPT” (+120%) and “Chat GPT” (+90%).
The standout in the recent period is Deepseek. Officially launched in January 2025, the Chinese search engine experienced a growth of over 3,000% in searches in just the last three months, indicating a true global interest boom—with a search peak in January (100 interest points), a slight decline in February, and a growth trend from March onward again.
Deepseek surpasses ChatGPT in new monthly visits
According to data from the specialized platform aitools.xyz, in February 2025, Deepseek recorded 524.7 million new visits, surpassing ChatGPT’s 500 million. Despite this progress, the Chinese tool remains the third-largest AI platform, behind ChatGPT and Canva. Deepseek’s market share jumped from 2.34% to 6.58% in February, solidifying its accelerated growth position.
Faced with this rise, OpenAI responded by announcing that it will launch its first open AI model since GPT-2 in the coming months, a strategic move to compete with Deepseek and other emerging solutions.
Gemini, ChatGPT, and DeepSeek: similarities and differences
Gemini, ChatGPT, and DeepSeek are advanced artificial intelligence models designed for natural language processing. All of them enable text generation, answering questions, and assisting with various tasks, using neural networks trained on vast amounts of data. Additionally, these AIs are widely applied in automation, research, and content creation.
Despite their similarities, each has distinct characteristics. Google’s Gemini stands out for its direct integration with the company’s services, such as YouTube, Google Search, and Drive, making it a powerful option for those already using this ecosystem.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT is known for its flexibility and widespread adoption, being used across various platforms and allowing API integrations for different applications. Meanwhile, DeepSeek, based on open-source models, distinguishes itself with a focus on greater autonomy and customization, making it especially attractive to developers and researchers seeking control over AI models.
Marketing and AI: the impact of searches and trends
The growth in searches for AI platforms is not limited to Google. There is a significant shift in how users access information within AI tools themselves, influencing digital marketing strategy.
“Keeping up with these trends is an increasingly necessary practice for companies that want to use AI in their routine, whether for content optimization, data analysis, or consumer interaction,” explains Carolina Glogovchan, CEO and expert at Do Follow.
Moreover, a growing number of users are likely to replace traditional Google searches with direct queries in AI tools. This shift impacts online traffic flow and challenges conventional positioning strategies, making it essential for brands to adapt how they create and distribute content to maintain relevance and reach.
With fierce competition and changes in industry leadership, the AI race is only just beginning. The coming months promise even more innovations and battles for space in the global artificial intelligence market.
