As generative AI continues to redefine digital workflows across industries, SimilarWeb’s ‘AI Global Report: Global Sector Trends on Generative AI’ (ending May 9, 2025) offers a comprehensive snapshot of shifting user engagement patterns. The data-driven report highlights notable growth in coding agents, disruptive impacts on EdTech, and an unexpected downturn in Legal AI platforms. Here are five findings that stand out from the report’s multi-sectoral analysis.
1. AI-Powered Coding Tools Witness Sustained Momentum
Among the highest-performing categories, DevOps & Code Completion tools recorded a 75% year-over-year (YoY) increase in traffic. This growth reflects rising developer adoption of AI assistants that support code generation, error detection, and workflow automation.
Two platforms stood out: Lovable, with a remarkable 207% YoY growth, and Cursor, which registered a 62% increase. These tools are gaining traction due to their ability to integrate seamlessly with IDEs and DevOps pipelines, reducing cognitive overhead for developers and enhancing velocity in iterative software engineering environments.
2. General-Purpose LLMs Disrupt Traditional EdTech Models
Chat-based LLMs such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Grok have emerged as central tools for self-directed learning and on-demand tutoring. DeepSeek, in particular, experienced exponential traffic spikes—at one point surpassing 17,000% YoY growth—before moderating in May.
This surge coincides with a marked decline in traditional education platforms. The EdTech category experienced a 24% YoY traffic drop, with legacy players Chegg and CourseHero posting sharp declines of -62% and -68%, respectively. The data suggests that LLMs are effectively displacing static repositories with conversational, real-time educational support—especially for STEM and writing tasks.
3. Legal AI Tools Enter a Downturn Amid Usage Fatigue
In contrast to the buoyancy of coding tools, the Legal AI segment faced a significant contraction, with a 73% YoY drop in traffic. This decline may reflect saturation in a niche market where generative AI’s value proposition—contract summarization, legal drafting, compliance automation—has yet to fully mature into robust, enterprise-grade deployments.
The data implies that while early interest in legal AI was strong, retention and continued usage remain challenges. Legal practitioners may be holding off on broader adoption until tools demonstrate better alignment with real-world legal reasoning, jurisdictional nuance, and auditability requirements.
4. Video Generation Tools Deliver Mixed Signals
The Video Generation sector showed only a -5% YoY change overall, but this average masks notable platform-specific variances. Kling.ai and RunwayML saw traffic declines of 5% and 15%, while Heygen recorded a 25% increase—likely attributable to its focus on solving specific commercial use cases such as synthetic avatars for business communications.
This divergence underlines a broader trend: video synthesis platforms that do not address a clear market need or lack intuitive UI/UX are struggling to retain user interest. In contrast, those aligned with enterprise storytelling or content automation are seeing more durable engagement.
5. Freelance Platforms Feel the Pressure of AI Automation
The report also highlights a 17% YoY decline in traffic to Digital Freelance platforms. Fiverr and Upwork were particularly affected, down 15% and 19%, respectively. The underlying driver appears to be generative AI’s growing ability to automate traditionally freelance-driven tasks—copywriting, basic design, SEO analysis, and transcription—thus shifting demand away from manual labor.
The freelance economy may be entering a transition phase where success depends on human-AI collaboration. Freelancers who adapt by offering AI-enhanced services or specialize in domains requiring nuanced judgment may find new opportunities as others contract.
Conclusion
The SimilarWeb’s ‘AI Global Report: Global Sector Trends on Generative AI’ eveals a bifurcation in generative AI adoption: platforms that address domain-specific challenges with measurable productivity gains—especially in development and operations—are thriving. In contrast, tools that either lack differentiation or have not yet demonstrated practical reliability are witnessing attrition.
As AI continues to integrate more deeply into professional toolchains, user engagement is increasingly driven by clarity of purpose and return on investment. This is not just a technological shift—it’s a redefinition of digital productivity landscapes across sectors.
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Sana Hassan, a consulting intern at Marktechpost and dual-degree student at IIT Madras, is passionate about applying technology and AI to address real-world challenges. With a keen interest in solving practical problems, he brings a fresh perspective to the intersection of AI and real-life solutions.
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