In an interesting turn of events, global interest in blockchain technology has seen a significant drop by 58% over the last three years. Conversely, industry attention has increasingly gravitated towards artificial intelligence (AI), with interest in AI surging by more than 560% during the same period. This data, sourced from Google Trends, highlights blockchain interest at 30, a stark contrast from its level of 71 as of November 3, 2021.
Focusing on blockchain, Google Trends reveals that the term ‘blockchain’ registered its peak interest from February 14 to February 20, 2021, with a perfect score of 100 within the last five years. However, a steep deceleration of interest followed, with the level dropping to 71 by November 3, 2021. Currently, web search levels for blockchain are languishing at 30, signifying a 58% fall in just three years.
Region-wise, Nigeria topped the list for the highest interest in blockchain technology as of November 3, with a perfect score of 100. Other countries showing a significant level of interest include St. Helena and Ghana, with respective search levels of 60 and 45. Cameroon and China complete the top five, with interest levels standing at 40 and 35, respectively.
While one might be tempted to correlate blockchain technology searches with BTC price fluctuations, the trend seems to deviate. This year’s peak blockchain web search levels were logged between March 3 and March 9, 2024, when the BTC price stood at $73,000. However, despite recent bullish trends in Bitcoin pricing, Google Trends data indicates a downturn in web searches for the cryptocurrency. On August 3, 2024, Bitcoin interest levels were at 62, dropping drastically to 34 by November 3, signifying a 45% drop in three months.
Contrastingly, AI web search levels have been on the upswing. As of November 2, 2024, AI web searches spiked to 99, a 52% year-on-year increase, and a staggering 560% surge over the past three years. The trend continues to rise, with AI interest currently at 100.
Vietnam and China lead the pack with the highest interest in AI, scoring 100 and 73, respectively. Romania, Italy, and Myanmar follow, with respective scores of 60, 52, and 50. However, AI news search levels saw a 25% dip from 83 points on November 2 to 62 by November 3, 2024.
This shift in global interest from blockchain to AI underscores the dynamic landscape of technology, where advancements in one area can quickly overshadow others. As these trends continue to evolve, it remains to be seen how global interest in these technologies will shape the future of the industry.
