2022 was the year of the Metaverse and 2023, although still halfway, is already acclaimed as the year of Artificial Intelligence. With the knowledge of this, job seekers are already moving in tandem with that paradigm shift.
Latest Data from Coingecko has shown that “AI job” searches in 2023 peaked at nearly five times the number of searches for “crypto jobs” at their peak and, as of July 5, remained four times higher.
This trend aligns with the increasing prominence of artificial intelligence in various industries and the emergence of groundbreaking AI technologies.
More on the CoinGecko report
The study which was conducted by leading crypto data analytics platform CoinGecko indicates a significant shift in focus as search interest for “AI jobs” peaked four times higher than “crypto jobs.”
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CoinGecko’s methodology makes use of a rank scoring system to determine “search interest”, taking into account Google search data globally. However, the researchers mention that Google isn’t the primary search engine in every geographical area, so the results may not necessarily reflect the ground truth for interest.
The study examined the search interest using Google Trends data from January 2020 to June 2023. Specifically, from 2020 – 2022, searches for “AI jobs” and “crypto jobs” remained fairly close, with AI edging out most days. However, crypto jobs pulled the lead after Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $69,000 in November 2021.
“At its peak score of 26 on both January 9 and 30, 2022, search interest in ‘Crypto Jobs’ surpassed ‘AI Jobs’, and was also 5 times higher than its baseline in January 2020.” – CoinGecko report.
However, following the emergence of ChatGPT in November 2022, searches for “AI jobs” skyrocketed. According to the CoinGecko study, the surge in search interest for AI jobs reached its peak, scoring 124 on April 30, 2023. On the same day, the crypto jobs score stood at 31.
It is important to note that this remarkable AI interest increase came five months after the introduction of advanced AI large language models like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI. The expanding prominence of those technologies contributed to the shift in job seekers’ attention towards AI-related roles.
Notably, among other findings, Singapore has the highest search interest rating among all nations for both “AI jobs” and “crypto jobs” keywords while the United Arab Emirates, ranks second in crypto jobs search interest and West African country Nigeria occupies the third spot.
The shift from Crypto jobs to AI jobs
Years ago, before the COVID pandemic, the average search interest for AI jobs was a bit higher than for crypto jobs. However, the dynamics changed with the onset of the crypto rally in 2021.
What could be drawn from this is that while the crypto industry experienced substantial growth, the search interest in crypto jobs also witnessed a notable increase. But as usual, the crypto industry was not immune to market volatility although it enjoyed its surge.
The CoinGecko report shows that search interest in crypto jobs experienced a significant decline, reaching a low score of 9 on December 25, 2022. Interestingly, this -288% drop from its peak coincided with catastrophic events in the space which include the collapse of FTX and layoffs at major crypto platforms like Coinbase. The market fluctuations and negative news during this period definitely contributed to the decreased interest in crypto job opportunities.
What is next
This shifting sands of the tech job market is reflective of a pivot in job seekers’ attention as the allure of blockchain technology seemingly fades, at least in the short term.
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As the crypto industry grapples with uncertainty and regulatory scrutiny, AI presents an enticing alternative as its integration into various sectors creates a demand for trained professionals, reflected in soaring AI jobs search interest.
However, the spotlight on AI jobs does not mean the end for crypto opportunities. Despite a recent dip, crypto job interest remains slightly above pre-2020 bull market levels, reflecting the continued allure of the crypto market.
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