Google is on the verge of adding another product to its elite billion-user club, with its AI assistant Gemini now boasting 950 million monthly active users. The Alphabet-owned company confirmed the figure during its second-quarter earnings call on 23 July 2026, noting that user numbers have tripled compared to the same period last year.
Gemini's surge comes as competition in the AI assistant space heats up. OpenAI's ChatGPT reached 1 billion monthly users in June, but analytics firm Sensor Tower reported that its market share among AI assistants fell below 50% for the first time in the first half of 2026. Gemini's share rose to 27.7% over the same period, driven by new features such as the Daily Brief and the personalised agent Gemini Spark, which launched in the US and internationally.
The Gemini app has also found strong traction on iOS, with over 137 million downloads in the past 12 months, according to Appfigures. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai attributed the growth to a rapid pace of innovation, saying users are embracing agentic capabilities that go beyond simple question-and-answer interactions.
For UK businesses, the rise of AI assistants presents both opportunities and regulatory challenges. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is closely monitoring how companies like Google handle user data and ensure transparency in AI-driven services. Meanwhile, the EU AI Act, which came into force in stages from 2025, imposes strict requirements on high-risk AI systems, including those used in consumer-facing products. UK firms using Gemini or similar tools must ensure compliance with both domestic data protection laws and any cross-border obligations if they operate in Europe.
Experts warn that while AI assistants can boost productivity and reduce costs, they also raise concerns about data privacy, algorithmic bias, and over-reliance on a small number of tech giants. Dr. Emily Hartley, a technology policy researcher at the University of Cambridge, said: 'The concentration of AI power in a handful of companies poses risks for competition and consumer choice. UK regulators need to ensure that innovation does not come at the expense of fairness and accountability.'