With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, its reshaping of the global market is no longer a prediction but a reality. SimilarWeb's latest Global AI Tracking Report, tracking 12 weeks of traffic data up to February 28, 2025, reveals the winners and losers in the AI field, offering valuable insights for industry strategists and investors. From the explosive growth of developer tools to the rapid decline of EdTech, AI is redrawing competitive boundaries.
1. Developer Tools Lead the AI Revolution, Showing Strong Growth
SimilarWeb's latest report shows that DevOps and code completion tools led the AI field with a 72% year-over-year growth rate in the 12 weeks ending February 28, 2025. Tools like Cursor (97% growth) and Replit (67% growth) highlight AI's direct impact on software development, creating a positive feedback loop that accelerates the building of more advanced AI systems. This trend suggests that AI's most transformative role in the short term may be behind the scenes, yet crucial for technological advancement.
2. Digital Freelancing Platforms See Sharp Traffic Decline, AI Replacement Threat Intensifies
During the reporting period, traffic to digital freelancing platforms declined by 20%, with Fiverr (-22%), Upwork (-18%), Freelancer (-15%), and Toptal (-35%) all impacted. Guru even shifted from 18% growth in September last year to a -30% decline in February this year. This pattern indicates that businesses are shifting budgets towards AI tools, especially in content creation and design tasks, challenging the traditional freelancing model.
3. Design Platforms Show Resilience, AI and Traditional Methods Coexist
Despite an 8% growth in AI image generation tools, traditional design platforms still achieved a 16% year-over-year growth. Canva (18%), Adobe Express (19%), and Figma (8%) performed strongly, while newcomer Kittl grew by 55%. The data suggests that established platforms, by integrating AI functionality, complement generative technologies rather than being replaced, challenging the assumption that AI will erode traditional tools.
4. Traditional EdTech Accelerates Decline, AI Alternatives Rise
EdTech platform traffic fell by 20%, with Chegg and Course Hero plummeting by nearly 60%, Udemy declining by 11%, and only Duolingo remaining relatively stable (-1%). As AI provides instant personalized assistance, traditional models relying on human tutoring and crowdsourced materials face serious challenges, highlighting the disruptive impact of AI alternatives on the education sector.
5. Niche AI Challengers Emerge, Market Dynamics Shift Dramatically
Deepseek achieved a remarkable 8658% growth in 12 weeks, far surpassing OpenAI's 9%, becoming a dark horse in the general AI field. In the DevOps category, Lovable grew by 928%, Cursor by 97%, while traditional tools like Tabnine (-24%) and Bito (-25%) lost ground. This shows a vibrant AI market where niche tools are capturing market share with specialized capabilities.
Summary: AI-Driven Economic Restructuring
The SimilarWeb report reveals that AI is not just technological progress but a catalyst for economic restructuring. Developer tools are revolutionizing software development, freelancing platforms are impacted by automation, design tools coexist with AI, EdTech is being replaced, and niche challengers are emerging. The key to success lies in leveraging AI to create new value, not simply replacing human labor. Understanding usage patterns will be central to strategic decision-making in the future.