{
  "schema_version": "1.1",
  "id": "brightlocal-45-percent-use-chatgpt-for-local-recommendations-2026",
  "slug": "brightlocal-45-percent-use-chatgpt-for-local-recommendations-2026",
  "url": "https://groundedkit.com/claims/brightlocal-45-percent-use-chatgpt-for-local-recommendations-2026/",
  "api_url": "https://groundedkit.com/api/claims/brightlocal-45-percent-use-chatgpt-for-local-recommendations-2026.json",
  "claim": "45% of consumers used ChatGPT or other AI tools for local business recommendations in 2026, up from 6%",
  "commonly_cited_as": "\"Consumers now ask ChatGPT for local businesses\"",
  "verdict": "verified",
  "verdict_definition": "Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.",
  "confidence": "medium",
  "rating": {
    "value": 5,
    "best": 5,
    "worst": 1
  },
  "origin": {
    "publisher": "BrightLocal",
    "title": "Local Consumer Review Survey 2026",
    "year": "2026"
  },
  "quote": "Use of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools for local recommendations has grown rapidly, rising from 6% last year to 45% and becoming the third most popular source of business recommendations.",
  "method": "BrightLocal's annual online survey of US consumers about local business reviews.",
  "drift": [
    "Online panel survey; sample size not shown in the excerpt",
    "Publisher sells AI-visibility tracking"
  ],
  "interest": "BrightLocal sells local SEO and review-management software.",
  "safe_rephrasing": "In BrightLocal's 2026 survey of US consumers, 45% said they used ChatGPT or other generative AI tools for local business recommendations, up from 6% a year earlier.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "BrightLocal — Local Consumer Review Survey 2026",
      "url": "https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/",
      "primary": true
    }
  ],
  "kind": "reference_fact",
  "as_of": "BrightLocal survey, 2026",
  "last_checked": "2026-10-17",
  "stale": false,
  "date_reviewed": "2026-10-17",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "license_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}