Research

We asked ChatGPT "Where should I buy [product] online?" 375 times and the same question with "in Canada" added 375 times, across 25 products and three model versions. Without the two words, 366 of 375 answers assumed a U.S. shopper and none assumed Canada. With them, every answer switched to Canadian storefronts, Amazon dropped from the most-named seller to second, and about 72% of the sellers named were ones that never appeared in the U.S. answers. The study did not verify the ownership of any seller named.

What this study found We asked ChatGPT "Who is the best [category] in Toronto?" 375 times across 25 service categories and three model versions. One directory, Best in Hood, was cited in 37% of answers; Google's own pages were cited in none. Eleven categories had one business named in at least 12 of 15 answers. The same question asked five times gave the same first pick all five times in 13% of cases. The study did not test whether any business paid for its directory placement.