The Next Web highlights new BrightEdge data showing that ChatGPT generated 95.1% of AI-driven referral traffic to websites in August 2026, with its referral traffic growing 101% from January to August.

Jim Yu, BrightEdge CEO and Co-founder, notes that ChatGPT is not only gaining share but is also sending substantially more users to the web than earlier in the year. Overall AI referral traffic has grown about 73% in less than a year.

The story highlights the growing importance of AI-driven discovery and website referrals, as brands increasingly need to understand and optimize how they appear across AI platforms.