SAN MATEO, Calif., June 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BrightEdge, the global leader in enterprise organic search, content and AI visibility, today released new AI Market Pulse data showing OpenAI is driving the overwhelming majority (96%) of live AI user-agent activity across the web. This highlights a critical but overlooked front in the AI race: agents.
The findings come as market scrutiny around OpenAI intensifies, with recent commentary driving comparisons to Anthropic. That shift is already becoming central to OpenAI’s own strategy, with recent reporting indicating the company is preparing a major ChatGPT overhaul focused on agents, coding tools and higher-value user actions.
BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu has a different interpretation: the market is comparing two entirely different markets.
While Anthropic is gaining momentum in enterprise AI, OpenAI’s strength is in consumer-scale AI activity, historically much larger than enterprise software. BrightEdge AI Market Pulse data shows OpenAI is already dominant in the agentic layer of the web, where AI systems move beyond answering questions and begin fetching, evaluating and acting on behalf of users. If agents become a primary way people search, evaluate and act online, that lead could represent a much larger growth frontier than current enterprise-focused comparisons capture.
According to BrightEdge AI Market Pulse data:
- OpenAI represents 96% of live AI user-agent activity, where AI is acting on behalf of users.
- OpenAI accounts for 51% of crawl activity used by AI to build its models.
- OpenAI accounts for 49% of crawl activity used by AI to build search indexes.
- In May, ChatGPT’s market share of LLM referrals rose 5.7 percentage points to 84.7%, while Gemini and Claude lost ground, declining to 9.2% and 2.8%, respectively.
Agent activity is approaching the scale of organic search, with BrightEdge seeing 88 use agentic requests for every 100 organic search visits.
“OpenAI is being evaluated as if it were an enterprise software company, but that misses the consumer platform dynamic,” said Yu. “Anthropic has real enterprise momentum, but in AI, the next major monetization layer may come from agents. On that front, OpenAI has a commanding lead, representing 96% of live AI user-agent activity on the web.”
A consumer platform, not just enterprise software
The current AI market narrative has largely focused on Anthropic’s enterprise traction and recent IPO news, and OpenAI’s cost structure. That lens misses a core distinction. OpenAI’s agent lead comes from consumer-facing AI use cases, where users are increasingly using AI systems as a first wave of search and action. Because OpenAI spans both consumer and enterprise use cases, its consumer footprint could translate into a wider commercial opportunity.
Historically, consumer-scale platforms often create the largest commercial markets because they sit closest to consumer decisions online. Search and social built massive advertising businesses by organizing attention and demand. Agents could represent the next version of that dynamic, and BrightEdge data suggests OpenAI already controls a meaningful share of this emerging activity layer.
“Compared to enterprise AI, consumer platforms have historically created much larger markets,” Yu said. “The question is not whether OpenAI has near-term economic challenges. It does. The question is whether the market is underestimating its value in consumer agent activity.”
From AI answers to AI actions
The first phase of AI search was defined by answers: which engine could respond most effectively to user questions. The next phase is shifting toward action: AI agents retrieving information, evaluating options and shaping user web journeys.
That shift is becoming measurable. BrightEdge data shows OpenAI’s share increases as AI activity moves closer to user action. OpenAI accounts for 51% of training crawls, 49% of search crawls and 96% of live AI user-agent activity, showing its dominance is strongest where AI is acting most directly on behalf of users.
“AI search is no longer just about answers,” Yu said. “It is becoming about who can act. That is a very different competitive landscape, and it changes what marketers, investors and brands need to measure.”
What marketers should watch
For marketers, the rise of agent activity expands the measurement challenge. The fundamentals of great search optimization remain the foundation, but they are no longer sufficient on their own. Brands now need to understand how agents retrieve, interpret and act on their content.
“Marketers who have built strong search foundations are best positioned for this shift,” Yu said. “Now agent-driven journeys build on that work, where visibility, influence and conversation happen before a traditional click. The companies that have invested in search excellence and now layer in an understanding of agent behavior will lead the next phase of digital growth.”
BrightEdge AI Market Pulse tracks AI-driven discovery, referral and agent activity across the public web, giving marketers a real-time view into how AI platforms are reshaping search behavior, brand visibility and digital engagement.
To access the full research findings, reporters and analysts can visit the BrightEdge website.
About BrightEdge
BrightEdge is the global leader in Enterprise SEO and AI-powered content performance. For more than 18 years, BrightEdge has helped thousands of brands and digital marketers, including 57% of the Fortune 500, transform online opportunities into measurable business results. Its industry-first platform integrates the most comprehensive dataset in search, combining insights from traditional SEO, digital media, social, and content with cutting-edge generative AI capabilities, including its deep learning engine DataMind and AI Catalyst platform. Trusted by enterprises, mid-market companies, and leading digital agencies, BrightEdge continues to set the standard for innovation in search and AI, enabling brands to win by becoming an integral part of the digital experience.
Contact: press@brightedge.com
