In about a year, artificial intelligence (AI) has leapt from being a technical term to an online buzzword used by people in everyday conversations. From ChatGPT changing how people approach AI since November last year, to tech giants such as Google and Microsoft investing heavily in integrating it into their products and services, interest in the field is soaring. Now, a new study shows that search interest in AI is touched an all-time high.
The report by Digital Adoption reveals that since the beginning of 2023, the search interest in AI, on the internet, has more than doubled, from 17 million in January to 42 million in May. Compared to January 2022, when there were almost 8 million searches, the significance of the leap stands out.
Furthermore, according to the report, Google Trends data revealed that interest in AI is currently the highest in history, touching a fifteenfold rise since 2004. This jump is linked to the public releases of AI chatbots ChatGPT, Bing AI, and Google Bard. Notably, according to TikTok, interest in AI has increased tenfold since 2020, and virtual reality has more than tripled.
AI has been a massive topic of conversation this year as it has become more accessible with chatbots and technologies that sparked rapid adoption, prompting well-known tech company founders such as Elon Musk to call for regulations around AI.
On 5 June, when Apple introduced its new Vision Pro mixed reality headset at its annual developers conference in California, the searches for ‘VR,’ 'mixed reality,' and 'augmented reality' rocketed 300%, 1,130%, and 545% worldwide, according to the report.
The new headset is described as a dive into the “era of spatial computing,” where “digital content blends seamlessly with your physical space.”
Commenting on the tremendous increase in AI interest this year and the introduction of new AI-powered technologies, a spokesperson from Digital Adoption said in a press statement: “Apple’s announcement of Vision Pro has captured audiences at the right time, when new AI technologies, like ChatGPT, have become accessible to almost anyone. The latest announcement from Apple could start to tip the balance and encourage more users to adopt this kind of advanced tech into their homes and working lives.”
