AI-driven discovery has moved beyond prediction and into measurable reality. New research from CallRail, based on the analysis of nearly 20 million inbound calls, shows that AI search tools powered by large language models (LLMs) are already influencing which businesses customers choose to call. For small and mid-sized businesses across the U.S., AI search platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are quietly becoming part of the path to purchase.
The following insights offer some of the earliest large-scale evidence of how AI search is shaping inbound lead flow, with meaningful implications for customer discovery, attribution, and conversion.
AI is already driving real calls
The data
0.073%
Across all industries, 0.073% of inbound calls now originate from AI search.
The takeaway
At first glance, the percentage may appear small. At scale, it represents millions of new leads and an early signal of a significant shift in consumer behavior.
Similar patterns appeared in the early days of mobile search, when initial adoption rates were modest but quickly accelerated as habits changed. CallRail’s data suggests a comparable shift is underway, with consumers increasingly relying on AI assistants to help decide who to call, not just what to research.
Where AI search is influencing calls
Calls from AI search are not evenly distributed across industries. Certain sectors are already seeing a higher share of AI influence than others. CallRail’s data shows that legal, manufacturing, and marketing agencies are the industries seeing the earliest AI search impact.
Industries seeing the earliest AI search impact:
These industries tend to rely on expertise, clarity, and trust. Customers often seek guidance rather than broad comparison shopping, which makes AI search particularly effective at surfacing recommendations and prompting direct calls at moments of decision.
While ChatGPT leads the way, most industries are already receiving at least some inbound call leads from multiple LLM providers, including Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude. Early signals suggest AI-driven discovery is expanding across multiple platforms, not just one.
Which AI search platforms are driving the most calls
While multiple AI assistants contribute to inbound call activity, one currently stands out:
Across the 20 million calls analyzed, ChatGPT drives the majority of AI-directed calls today. Even so, every major LLM is already producing measurable inbound call volume.
Industries show different patterns across AI assistants
A closer look at the data reveals that industries cluster differently across AI search platforms:
ChatGPT
ChatGPT shows the highest level of discovery for consumer-facing industries like automotive and healthcare.
Gemini
Gemini shows modest early impact concentrated in manufacturing, business services, and education, suggesting a more cautious or utility-driven discovery path.
Claude
Claude’s influence is relatively narrow and skewed toward complex decision-driven industries, like agencies, manufacturing, and real estate.
These early patterns suggest that AI-driven discovery won’t look the same across every platform. As adoption grows, businesses may experience different levels of visibility depending on which platforms their customers use, reinforcing the need to treat AI-driven traffic as its own, emerging channel.
Why AI search leads matter: Higher intent, shorter funnels
Calls from AI search behave differently than traditional inbound leads.
Early signals point to several consistent trends:
- Callers skip the browsing phase and dial immediately
- Customers asking AI who to call are already prepared to buy
- The phone call often becomes the first meaningful interaction
Together, these behaviors indicate a compressed funnel. The journey from question to recommendation to call now happens in seconds rather than sessions. These calls carry higher intent, as consumers rely on AI search for immediate, confident recommendations.
What this means for your businesses
As AI search plays a larger role in discovery, businesses need to rethink how they show up and how quickly they respond.
Staying competitive in AI-driven discovery requires:
- Accurate online hours and consistent NAP data
- Clear, structured service descriptions that AI can interpret
- Fast response times and fewer missed calls
- After-hours coverage for time-sensitive inquiries
As AI becomes part of the decision-making process, discoverability and responsiveness matter more than ever. Businesses that adapt early will be better positioned as AI-driven discovery continues to scale.
The future of customer discovery is already taking shape
AI search is already influencing how customers decide who to call, and that impact is only beginning. As consumer behavior shifts, understanding how AI-generated demand turns into revenue is no longer optional. CallRail helps businesses connect those dots — from AI discovery to phone calls to revenue.
More than 220,000 businesses already have AI search attribution through CallRail. If you're ready to start seeing what's actually driving revenue, try it today with a 14-day free trial.
