New Google Search trends depict a growing interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa Q1 and Q2 2024—the increasing curiosity borders around AI jobs and qualifications alongside inquiries on AI assistance for creative.
Google’s trends data included online searches between January 1 and July 15, 2024. According to the report, Kenya’s AI-themed searches grew the most over the research period (150%), followed by Nigeria’s (130%) and South Africa (120%), compared to the same period in 2023.
Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa Record Growing Interest in AI
Google discovered that Kenya recorded the fourth-highest search interest in AI in Africa, ranking 13th globally. Nigeria demonstrated the sixth-highest search interest in AI on the continent and the 25th globally.
Kenya-based searches for “How to Use AI” increased by 90%, while inquiries into “What is AI” increased by 60% year-over-year (YoY) during the first half of the year. On the other end of the region, Nigeria-based searches for “How to use AI” surged by 40% YoY, while “What is AI” searches increased by 30%.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s searches for “How to use AI” surged by 20%, while searches for “What is AI” increased by 70%. Additionally, South Africans seek to leverage AI in building their creativity and careers. Trending searches in South Africa included “AI image generator,” “AI writer,” “online AI chat”, and “logo maker AI” – all breakout searches in 2024 that grew by over 5,000% YoY.
Breakout searches in Nigeria over the search period include “create CV with AI”, “create a logo with AI.” “design website with AI,” “design a flyer with AI,” and “create slides with AI”– all growing by over 5,000% YoY. Kenyans’ breakout searches were “AI-generated images,” “AI logo maker,” “AI text chat generator,” and “ask AI questions,” which also grew by 5,000% YoY.
South Africans, Nigerians, and Kenyans were also keen on leveraging AI in building their skills and qualifications, per the report. Searches for “AI jobs” and “AI course” both increased by over 80% in SA, while Nigeria-based searches for “AI and courses” grew by 50% YoY as the West Africans sought to master the technology.
In Kenya, Google searches for “AI jobs” surged by 230% while searches for “AI course” rose by 120% YoY. Inquiries for “AI and business” increased by 60%, while “AI and startups” showed up in Kenya-based users’ search boxes 70% more times YoY.
Google Embraces Growing Curiosity Around AI
Commenting on the report, Google’s West Africa Director, “Olumide Balogun” observed that it’s unsurprising that Nigerians are seeking to maximize what he calls a “transformational technology” in building their careers, creativity, and society. “AI has the potential to create opportunities – from the extraordinary to the everyday – for everyone, bringing new waves of innovation, social and economic progress,” he adds. Other Google executives across East and Southern Africa corroborate Balogun’s perspectives.
The search giant demonstrates that it understands the need for users to understand AI via its free AI training programs for Africans via the Hustle Academy. Google launched Hustle Academy in 2022 and has trained over 10,000 businesses on the continent. Moreover, African startups with partial or full focus on AI have also received support from Google via the Startups Accelerator Africa program which reportedly selected ten AI-driven ventures for its 2024 cohort earlier in August.
