Google Gemini vs ChatGPT: Which AI Assistant Wins in 2025?
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta will soon decide the future of Google’s vast search business, which he declared an unlawful monopoly last year. Yet as the court weighs its options, new artificial intelligence rivals may already be chipping away at Google’s dominance faster than any judge’s ruling could take effect.
AI Tools Eroding Google's Lead
A key issue at trial has been the rise of AI tools that appear to be eroding Google’s lead in the search engine game. Mehta is set to hear final arguments this Friday from the Justice Department and Google on remedies meant to boost competition in search. His ultimate decision could also shape how AI services gain ground in the search market.
Justice Department's Proposed Changes
The Justice Department, which sued Google in 2020, wants sweeping changes. It has urged the court to force the company to sell its Chrome browser, restrict it from paying Apple to remain the default search engine, and require it to share its search data with competitors. Regulators say these strong steps are justified by a legal benchmark set more than 20 years ago, when the government attempted to break up Microsoft.
“All three of the DOJ’s major remedies are aimed at helping generative AI providers take share from Google,” said Paul Gallant, a policy analyst at TD Cowen.
Google's Response
The search engine giant counters that the government’s proposed fixes go too far and would cause irreparable damage to its business. Holding about 90% market share of online search queries in the U.S., the company has suggested a narrower approach: tweak its agreements with Apple, Mozilla, and Android to carve out space for rivals. The tech firm says it will appeal the judge’s ruling.
Each year, the company pays roughly $20 billion to Apple for default placement in Apple’s Safari browser. Any change to that arrangement could erase billions from Apple’s profits.
Impact on AI Features
Mehta is weighing whether to stop Google from sharing revenue with Apple under the current deal, which could change how Google is embedded in the Safari browser. Lawyers and experts warn that his decision may also influence future contracts among tech giants over how AI features are featured on their platforms.
Google's Latest Innovations
Last week, Google announced the U.S. launch of “AI Mode,” a new way to respond to searches with conversational answers rather than the familiar list of blue links. It represents the biggest overhaul of its search engine in years and is powered by Gemini.
Google has been steadily improving Gemini, which supports AI Mode and other features across its products. Although Gemini’s user base has grown in recent months, it still trails ChatGPT in popularity.
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