The ongoing discourse surrounding “crypto vs artificial intelligence” has gained momentum in 2023, prompting discussions about the trajectory of these emerging technologies. Similar debates have historically accompanied the ascent of groundbreaking technologies, drawing parallels to the skepticism surrounding the permanence of the Internet in the early 2000s. Intriguingly, this year has seen searches for “AI” on Google surpassing those for “Bitcoin” and “crypto,” signifying a notable shift in user interests, as evidenced by data from Google Trends.
Revelation of a Shift Through Google Trends Data
Over the years, search interest in “Bitcoin” and occasionally “crypto” consistently overshadowed that of “AI.” However, the landscape began to transform around August 2022, and by November 2022, searches for “AI” surged, coinciding with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Subsequently, the gap between searches related to artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency terms has widened.
Currently, global search interest in “AI” boasts a Google Trends score of 91, whereas “Bitcoin” trails behind with a score of 22. Google assigns scores on a scale from 0 to 100 based on a topic’s proportion to total searches across all topics.
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Factors Influencing the Shift
The outcomes might not be surprising, considering Bitcoin endured the tail end of a bear market cycle throughout the latter half of 2021 and most of 2022. While Bitcoin has made strides in regaining lost ground throughout this year, it began 2023 significantly below its all-time high, reaching $42,680 at press time, according to CoinMarketCap.
Regional Patterns and Global Events
Google Trends data sheds light on the geographic distribution of interest, highlighting that Bitcoin attracted the most attention from El Salvador, Nigeria, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Switzerland. Conversely, artificial intelligence witnessed a prolific year marked by concerns about job displacement, the emergence of AI-based nude services, and excitement surrounding new chatbots like ChatGPT, Google Bard, Meta AI, and GrokAI, the latter launched by tech magnate Elon Musk.
Regionally, Google Trend data emphasizes heightened interest in AI from users in Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea, and Italy.
Insights from Users and Commentary
Crypto X user Autism Capital was among the first to spotlight this trend in a December 26 post, reaching a substantial following of 249,900 followers. One comment on the post suggested that the difference in search interest could be attributed to the comparatively longer presence of Bitcoin and crypto in the public consciousness compared to the newer fascination with AI. This implies that users may have extensively searched for cryptocurrency terms in previous years.
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The shift in Google search trends, with “AI” surpassing “Bitcoin” and “crypto,” mirrors the evolving interests of users in the dynamic tech landscape. As both artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency continue to shape the future, the changing search patterns underscore the ongoing exploration and curiosity surrounding these transformative technologies. The global tech dialogue is evolving, and the increased focus on AI indicates a growing recognition of its impact and potential.
