Google’s search trends show Nigerians’ interest in Artificial Intelligence is rising

Earlier today, Google released new search trends that show that people in Nigeria are increasingly interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This is even as search interest in “artificial intelligence” reached a record high in 2022 in Nigeria and across the world.

According to Google, top trending questions in Nigeria include “what is AI art”, “what is deep learning in artificial intelligence”, “how to become an AI engineer” and “when was artificial intelligence invented” – all of which have been searched 5,000% more in 2022 than 2021.

Other searches included “what is artificial intelligence all about” (+370%), “is artificial intelligence a course” (+260%) and “what is artificial intelligence” (+130%).

AI is part of humanity: Commenting on the trends, President of Google Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Matt Brittin, said:

“It’s great to see people in Nigeria showing more of an interest in the transformational technology that is AI. AI is already a key part of many of our lives if you use Google tools regularly, you’re probably using AI without even realising: it’s what helps Maps give you the fastest or most fuel-efficient route, or Search to find what you’re looking for. We’re continuing to pursue AI boldly and responsibly – creating tools that improve the lives of as many people as possible.”

While many Nigerians have been using AI tools unknowingly, many are developing an interest in the technology because of OpenAI’s ChatGPT which became a global sensation towards the end of last year

Cybersecurity: The trends just released by Google also show that people in Nigeria are increasingly interested in protecting their cybersecurity and online privacy.

In 2022, searches for “computer security” were the top form of security searched worldwide and in Nigeria, while “cybercrime” was searched at record levels globally.

Nigerians frequently searched for cyber security – with “what is ethical hacking” increasing by over 5,000%, while searches for “what is cybersecurity” and “what is a virus in a computer” increased by 200% and 80% respectively.

Online privacy: With more people using the internet than ever before, to manage every aspect of their daily lives, people in Nigeria are also interested in increasing their privacy online.

According to Google, searches for “private browsing” surged in 2022, increasing by 70% – while Nigerians searched for “one-time passwords” more than any other country worldwide.

Searches for “password manager”- a Google tool that makes it easy to use a strong, unique password for all of your online accounts – also reached a 10-year high in Nigeria.