ChatGPT Search Surges in Europe, Growing Nearly 4x in Six Months

ChatGPT’s web search feature is seeing rapid adoption across Europe, according to newly published data from OpenAI.

Filed under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) compliance requirements, the latest report from OpenAI Ireland Limited shows that ChatGPT search averaged 41.3 million monthly active users over the six-month period ending March 31, 2025. That’s a nearly fourfold jump from the 11.2 million monthly average reported in the previous six-month period ending October 31, 2024.

The DSA defines “monthly active recipients” as individuals who engage with a service — by viewing, listening to, or interacting with information presented through the platform — at least once per month.

What’s driving the growth?
ChatGPT’s search tool allows users to access live information from the web, blending traditional chatbot answers with up-to-date context. That real-time capability has made it increasingly useful for tasks like news gathering, research, travel planning, and competitive analysis — especially in fast-moving markets.

Why it matters:
The rapid adoption underscores a growing European appetite for AI tools that don’t just generate content, but also stay current — a key challenge for large language models. It also signals OpenAI’s increasing entrenchment in the European digital ecosystem, at a time when regulators are scrutinizing AI services more closely than ever.

As OpenAI expands its offerings, usage trends like these will likely become central to discussions around AI accessibility, transparency, and content responsibility under EU law.

For now, one thing is clear: Europeans aren’t just chatting with AI — they’re searching with it, too.