According to new search trends released by Google today, which were the dominant trends in 2022, Nigerians are more interested than ever in AI. The release shows that Artificial Intelligence (AI) was searched more than ever in 2022 worldwide, with Nigerian users searching for the term 100% more than in 2021.
Search interest in “artificial intelligence” reached a record high in 2022 in Nigeria and worldwide. The trend results show that Nigerians who are searching for AI are asking questions including “what is AI art?”, “how to become an AI engineer?” and “what is artificial intelligence all about?”
Also, questions like “what is deep learning in artificial intelligence?”, and “when was artificial intelligence invented?” were searched 5,000% more in 2022 than in 2021. Other searches included “what is artificial intelligence all about?” (+370%), “is artificial intelligence a course?” (+260%) and “what is artificial intelligence” (+130%).
According to Matt Brittin, President of Google Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the interest being shown by Nigerians in AI represents a good thing for technological advancement and the lives of people.
He said:
“It’s great to see people in Nigeria showing more of an interest in the transformational technology that is AI.
Matt Brittin, President of Google Europe, the Middle East and Africa
AI is already a key part of many of our lives – in fact, 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.”
Google, which views AI as a solution for addressing significant societal challenges like climate change, recently shared their approach to pursuing AI responsibly, including prioritising building and testing for safety and its purpose for the public good.
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More on the Google Searches
People in Nigeria also turned to Google for advice on protecting their privacy and security online, learning new digital skills and growing their careers – and becoming more sustainable. In 2022, searches for “computer security” were highest regarding searches involving security, 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.
Google is using AI to address security challenges – including on Gmail, which automatically blocks more than 99.9% of malware, phishing and spam and protects more than 1.5 billion inboxes using AI. 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.
Searches for “private browsing” surged in 2022, increasing by 70% – while Nigerians searched for “one-time password” 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 your online accounts – also reached a 10-year high in Nigeria.
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Nigerians and the state of their economy
Since 2022 was a financially unpredictable year, as evidenced by the search trends, people in Nigeria also turned to Google to help them better understand the economy, gain new skills, and advance their careers.
Searches for inflation hit an all-time high worldwide and a 10-year high in Nigeria. Searches for “causes of cost-push inflation”, “creeping inflation”, and “what is recession?” increased by over 5,000%. People also took to Google to understand the causes of rising prices and how to reduce them – with searches for “how to save heat”, “how to save water”, and “how to save money” increasing by 370%, 80% and 22%, respectively.
People in Nigeria aren’t just turning to Google to understand these issues; they are also looking for resources to navigate these challenges and build their careers. Searches for “how to learn coding” doubled, while searches for “how to learn video editing” (+450%), “how to learn web development” (+350%) and “how to learn photoshop” (+130%) also increased.
Search interest for the topic “job” increased by 50% as people used Google to research new prospects and prepare for job interviews. Since 2015, Google has given 22 million people in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa training in digital skills as part of their “Grow with Google” program. Google continues to provide training and advice to those who need it the most.
Read also: Google launches Nigeria Elections Trends Hub ahead of 2023 polls
Nigerians looking to solve flooding issues
The trends shown today also demonstrate that environmental sustainability and protection are important to Nigerians. In Nigeria, searches for “eco-anxiety,” “greenwashing,” and “veganism” has never been higher. Globally, searches for “climate change,” “climate crisis,” and “sustainable” have reached record highs too.
Across the world, searches for environmental disasters were searched more than ever – including “drought”, “flood” and “landslides”, while in Nigeria “heat wave” has reached an all-time search high.
Nigerians are also increasingly searching for “green energy”, “sustainable art” and “low emission vehicle” – all rising over 5,000% – as well as “renewable fuels” (+330%), “green growth” (+330%) and “solar fuel” (+240%).
Google is no stranger to increased interest in sustainability – and, as well as working to achieve net zero emissions across all of its operations and value chain by 2030, is committed to enabling everyone to make more sustainable choices.
Over the last few years, Google has made changes to its core products, which reach billions of people each day, to help users make more sustainable choices.
Last year, Google released eco-friendly routing in Europe, which uses artificial intelligence to help show Google Maps users the most fuel and eco-efficient route, as well as the fastest. The tool is already estimated to have saved more than half a million metric tons of carbon emissions – equivalent to taking 100,000 fuel-based cars off the road.
Google also made changes to its Hotel, Flight and Shopping tools to help users see which options are most sustainable.
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