In an unexpected turn of events, Google users exhibited a heightened interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) over “Bitcoin” or “crypto” throughout the year, as revealed by data from Google Trends. Contrary to the trend observed since 2020, where searches for “Bitcoin” and occasionally “crypto” surpassed those for “AI,” the dynamics began to shift around August 2022.
The Rise of AI: A November Surge
November 2022 marked a pivotal moment when searches for “AI” surged, coinciding with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Since then, the gap between AI-related searches and crypto-related terms has widened significantly. Presently, global search interest in “AI” boasts a Google Trends score of 91, leaving Bitcoin trailing at 22. Google scores search terms on a scale of 0 to 100 based on their proportion to total searches across all topics.
Bitcoin’s Struggles and AI’s Triumph
The findings may not come as a shock, considering Bitcoin’s battle with the tail-end of a bear market cycle that lingered throughout 2021 and most of 2022. Conversely, AI has enjoyed a banner year marked by significant developments, from concerns about AI replacing human jobs to the emergence of AI nude services and the excitement surrounding new chatbots like ChatGPT, Google Bard, Meta AI, and GrokAI—launched by tech mogul Elon Musk.
Global Interest Disparities
Google Trends data highlights that Bitcoin attracted the most interest from countries such as El Salvador, Nigeria, Netherlands, Brazil, and Switzerland. In contrast, AI experienced a surge in attention globally, with particular interest from users in Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and Myanmar.
The Age Factor: Crypto vs. AI
One insightful comment on this trend suggests that the disparity arises from the relatively older point of interest in Bitcoin and crypto compared to the growing curiosity about AI. It implies that people might have exhaustively explored crypto terms in previous years, contributing to the shifting search trends.
Job Seekers Flock to AI Opportunities
Adding another layer to AI’s triumph, in July, it emerged as a clear winner among job seekers. Analysis from crypto data aggregator CoinGecko revealed that the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 led to a substantial surge in searches for “AI jobs,” outpacing searches for “crypto jobs” by four times.
In conclusion, the data reflects a remarkable shift in user interests on Google, signaling a turning point where the fascination with AI surpasses the once-dominant curiosity about Bitcoin and crypto. This trend emphasizes the dynamic nature of online searches and the evolving landscape of technology in the eyes of global users.
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