Artificial intelligence is no longer a niche technology in Italy. It is fast becoming one of the country’s primary entry points to the internet. According to the Digital 2026 report by We Are Social, AI-powered platforms now account for a growing share of web traffic, with ChatGPT responsible for a striking 84% of AI-driven online visits.

What matters more than the figure itself is what it represents: a fundamental shift in how people search for information. Instead of typing keywords into a browser, many users are turning to conversational tools that deliver direct responses. The internet is becoming something people “talk to”, rather than search through.

Competitors trail far behind. Microsoft Copilot accounts for just over 8% of AI-related traffic, while Perplexity, Google Gemini, Claude, and China’s DeepSeek remain in the low single digits.

Mobile devices dominate access, with more than 95% of Italians going online via smartphones. Traditional browsers remain relevant, however: Google Chrome leads the market, followed by Safari, Edge, and Firefox.

Social media continues to hold Italy’s attention. Nearly nine in ten Italians use social platforms weekly, and TikTok sits firmly at the top for time spent each day, outpacing YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp by a wide margin.

Together, these trends show how the digital landscape in Italy is being reshaped, not just by new apps, but by a different way of interacting with technology itself.