Global AI Usage Trends Reveal Rising Developer Tools and Legacy Tech Disruption

A comprehensive report from SimilarWeb, covering global web traffic patterns for AI-related platforms over 12 weeks through May 2025, offers critical insights into the evolving landscape of generative AI usage. This report analyzes trends across various sectors including general-purpose AI tools, coding assistants, and content generators, while also highlighting the disruption of traditional industries such as education, search, and digital freelancing.

For enterprise technical decision-makers, especially those overseeing AI model deployment and data integration, the report serves as a strategic guide. It reveals the importance of aligning internal AI applications with popular external tools like ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, and Grok, which employees are already familiar with. This alignment can enhance user trust, improve adoption rates, and reduce onboarding and training costs by leveraging existing user experience.

Key Findings from the SimilarWeb AI Usage Report

• Developer AI and coding tools are experiencing rapid growth, with a 75% increase in traffic over 12 weeks. Platforms like Lovable and Cursor have seen explosive adoption, signaling that AI integration into software development workflows is becoming essential infrastructure rather than experimental technology.
• Platforms like Grok and DeepSeek experienced viral spikes but quickly declined, demonstrating that hype alone does not guarantee sustained user retention compared to established AI leaders such as OpenAI and Google.
• AI writing and content generation tools are declining in popularity, with an 11% drop in category traffic. This trend suggests user fatigue and skepticism about the quality or utility of these tools, as many users prefer direct access to AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Claude.
• AI image generators and design tools show volatile usage patterns, with some platforms like Getimg and Artbreeder surging, while others such as Stable Diffusion and Looka decline. This reflects a competitive landscape driven by novelty and aesthetic differentiation.
• Traditional digital services including freelance platforms (Fiverr, Upwork), search engines (Yahoo, Bing), and consumer EdTech companies (Chegg, CourseHero) are experiencing traffic declines, indicating early-stage AI disruption that may reduce reliance on these legacy platforms.

These insights provide enterprises with actionable intelligence to strategically adapt their AI investments and internal deployments. By prioritizing tools with proven user traction and anticipating shifts away from traditional platforms, organizations can better position themselves for competitive advantage in the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem.