As of 2025, the conscious or unconscious use of artificial intelligence has become common. AI agents assist with research, content creation, and the editing of videos, images, and texts, and are deeply integrated into the technological and digital tools we use for work, study, or entertainment. This represents a true exponential growth of interest from the global public, as revealed by Google search trends on the topic of “Artificial Intelligence.”
From the timeline chart, we can observe the turning point in public interest in November 2022, linked to the public launch of ChatGPT (November 30, 2022), an OpenAI product based on GPT-3.5.
Google Trend for the topic “Artificial Intelligence.”
Map of interest in the topic “Artificial Intelligence” by region. Countries with low search volumes are excluded.
The geographic map, on the other hand, offers some surprises. On one hand, it confirms China at the top of the ranking for interest and South Korea on the podium, as one might expect from two countries recognized as technological and innovative hubs. On the other hand, the absence of the U.S. among the top five countries and Ethiopia’s second-place position is surprising.
Ethiopia’s second-place ranking is due to a combination of two factors:
- A lower absolute search volume, which causes viral topics to achieve a relatively high score;
- The Ethiopian government’s push for AI innovation, including organizing PanAfriCon AI 2022—the first pan-African AI conference held in October 2022—and subsequent official steps, such as approving a national AI strategy supported by the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, established in 2024.
These data confirm the significance and impact AI has had and continues to have in the contemporary world. But what exactly is Artificial Intelligence? How and when did it develop? And what are its real impacts on today’s society? Let’s explore it together!
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