Deloitte 2026 TMT predictions - GenAI inside existing search engines overtakes standalone GenAI

Deloitte 2026 TMT predictions - GenAI inside existing search engines overtakes standalone GenAI

Deloitte predicts that the generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) user base in 2026 will surge, with the expansion mostly attributable to existing applications that incorporate GenAI capabilities, such as search engines. Deloitte also predicts that more people will use GenAI when it’s within an existing application relative to any standalone GenAI tools. The prediction is ‘passive usage’ such as this, will be three times greater than proactive usage in 2026 and beyond. 

Key predictions and supporting research: 

• Deloitte predicts that the majority of the expansion of GenAI's user base will be driven by its integration into existing mainstream apps, rather than through standalone tools. 

• By 2026, Deloitte forecasts that daily usage of GenAI within search engines (such as summarised results) will be three times (300%) more common than the use of any standalone GenAI tool.

• Deloitte predicts approximately a third (29%) of adults in developed markets are expected to use GenAI search summaries daily, compared to one in ten (10%) using standalone GenAI apps. 

• Despite standalone GenAI apps launching almost two years earlier, more adults are forecast to have used passive GenAI search summaries (72% by mid-2026) than standalone tools (61%). 

• Passive GenAI usage is being rapidly adopted among older age groups, who may be less inclined to adopt new standalone tools. For example, Boomers' passive GenAI usage is predicted to reach 59% by 2027, significantly higher than their standalone usage. 

Paul Lee, partner, and head of research for technology, media and telecommunications, at Deloitte, said: “Passive GenAI thrives because it's seamlessly integrated into familiar applications, requiring less overt user effort or ‘prompt engineering’ skills. Integrated GenAI simplifies tasks users would typically perform manually, such as summarising search results, making it highly valuable even if not always perfectly accurate. 

“We predict that owners of standalone GenAI apps will face a strategic choice: focus on embedding their tools into other applications for wider adoption or remain standalone for potentially higher revenue per user. GenAI's fullest potential may be realised as a discreet but integral capability within everyday applications, much like how GPS became embedded in smartphones.”

The full prediction can be read here. You can read the other Deloitte 2026 TMT predictions here.

ENDS