It’s difficult to go online currently without seeing some sort of discourse surrounding AI programmes, such as ongoing debates surrounding generated art-stealing designs, the potential for Chat GPT to replace copywriting, and even OpenAI, the maker of Chat GPT testing a new tool to detect AI created content.

But just how much more have we been talking about it? It was this question that prompted domains and hosting providers Fasthosts to look into the Google search data to compare interest from the start of December to now, to measure the impact the explosion in AI services and discourse has really had.

Get with the programme

Chat GPT, one of the most talked about AI tools, has had a 2633% boost in interest since last December, hardly surprising given its prevalence in discussions surrounding AI writing software. Recently even passing some graduate level exams, this staggering leap in interest over the last month is sure to continue as the tech continues to evolve and become more advanced.

On the image side of things, Midjourney, the tool that has seen artists replaced and being able to create some stunning pieces, has seen a rise of 121%. The ethics of these tools have been hotly debated online, no doubt contributing to these rises as people flock to Google to find out what everyone is arguing about, as well as those wishing to try the tools out for themselves.

In broader terms

Thanks to the constant online uproar surrounding the various facets of AI tools and content, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing increases in interest across the board for even generic terms surrounding the tech. The success of Chat GPT has surely contributed to the 200% increase in searches for AI writing as people flock to see what kind of work these programmes can produce, and the 139% rise in interest in AI content only solidifies this idea.

Even interest in the generic term AI was up 60%, however, the more interesting statistic is a 245% increase in searches for AI jobs. This increase could be twofold, in part to both people searching for jobs in the AI industry as well as for which jobs may be at risk of being replaced by AI, such as artists and copywriters.

Replaced by robots

While workers in many industries worry about being made redundant thanks to advances in technology, either with their role becoming obsolete or being replaced by robots, the recent strides made by these AI tools have some creatives worried.

With Buzzfeed recently announcing they will be using AI to “enhance” their content, it’s not difficult to see how the technology could evolve to the point of being able to create cohesive works that would still bring in the clicks while saving on having a writer do it instead.

AI art programs such as the aforementioned Midjourney and Stable Diffusion also have many artists worried, able to create art to fit specific key phrases unbelievably quickly. 

There are already roles out there hiring those who know how to use these prompts to their full effect to produce art near-instantaneously, already replacing some lower-rung art jobs that would be the starting point for many aspiring artists early in their careers.

It’s important to remember these changes aren’t going to happen overnight, but the worry for the future as these technologies continue to develop is something that will be difficult to remove from the minds of many in these creative industries.

Michelle Stark, sales and marketing director at Fasthosts, had this to say on the findings: “The large increases across the board for these search terms surrounding AI are to be expected given how much media coverage the technology has acquired, however the meteoric increases for AI art and AI writing are indicative of just how intriguing the idea of this content is for many.

“While it’s very difficult to say how many of these searches come from those supporting AI, against it, or even neutral observers, the back and forth surrounding the moral issues involved have clearly left their mark. We’re sure to see average interest continue to grow as more and more of these tools become available, but one thing is clear; it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.”