The use of artificial intelligence among Americans has skyrocketed since the release of platforms such as ChatGPT, and a new study found that residents of states out West are far more likely to use AI than Southern states.
"The use of Artificial Intelligence in the US is on the rise, and it's clear to see why," a spokesperson for YACSS, an AI-driven company that builds websites and also conducted the study, said of the findings in a report provided to Fox News Digital.
"It is frequently used to reduce time spent on tedious tasks as well as provide users with endless creative possibilities, and this is all available at the touch of a button."
The study, released this month, examined Google data on keywords frequently searched by people interested in artificial intelligence over a 12-month span, and averaged each state's monthly search volume for such terms per 100,000 people.
Five Southern states trailed the rest of the country for likelihood of using AI, according to the report, with Mississippi coming in dead last with a monthly average of 74 AI and AI tool searchers per 100,000, followed by Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas and South Carolina.
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States in the Western part of the U.S., however, lead the U.S., with Utah crowned as the state most likely to use AI, at a monthly average of 203 AI-related searches per 100,000 people. The study also examined the top states’ uses for AI, and found Utah residents are most likely to use the tech for art purposes, followed by voice generation, music, animation and resume writing.
Using AI for art purposes was ranked as the number one AI use for Americans across the board, according to YACSS. AI art generators have increased in popularity through programs such as Dalle-2 and Midjourney, which can create realistic images based on prompts from users. AI-powered voice generators, which can create high-quality voiceovers, was ranked as the second-most popular reason to use AI.
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Oregon followed Utah as the U.S. state second most-interested in AI, with an average 192 monthly AI-related searches per 100,000 people, while Washington came in the third spot.
OpenAI's ChatGPT became the fastest-growing user base with 100 million monthly active users in January as people across the world rushed to use the chatbot, which simulates human-like conversations based on prompts it is given.
"The most recent surge in popularity of ChatGPT has caused millions of Americans to use the tool in everyday life, introducing them to AI," the YACSS spokesperson added.
"Artificial Intelligence is excellent for improving accuracy and precision while reducing common errors in writing. As well as introducing a whole industry of new jobs alongside aiding huge sectors such as education, health care, finance, marketing, cybersecurity and many more."
