Ranking AI-Curious U.S. States as Daily AI Google Searches Hit 5 Million

According to DesignRush's AI Readiness Index, there are about 5 million AI-related searches each day across the country. 

That’s roughly 3,600 searches every minute.  

For comparison, that's like everyone in a small town Googling the same thing at the same time. This is how often we’re asking questions about AI. 

But not all states are equally curious, so DesignRush analyzed AI-search data by state to see who is looking up AI the most. 

This ranking is based on real searches, Googling real things like “how to use ChatGPT,” “Gemini AI tools,” or “AI career paths.” 

Most AI-Obsessed States in 2025

The top states are California, New York, and Massachusetts.

We measured AI-related monthly search volume per 1,000 people, then ranked each state from highest to lowest based on search interest. 

1. California

• 170.2 searches per 1,000 people 
• 6.6 million monthly searches 

Silicon Valley might be the birthplace of modern AI, but Californians search for AI tools more than any other state.  

With 170.2 AI-related searches per 1,000 people, it's the most AI-obsessed state in the country. 

For every 6 people, there's 1 AI-related search each month. Even though it's not #1 in overall readiness, California’s tech-forward population is eager to learn. 

2. New York

• 160.3 searches per 1,000 people 
• 3.1 million monthly searches 

New York's 160+ searches per 1,000 people place it second in AI curiosity.

With a population of over 19 million, that’s over 3 million searches a month. But its readiness score is just outside the top 10.

This means many people are searching for tools, but the systems to support learning and job use may not be in place yet.  

3. Massachusetts

• 155.1 searches per 1,000 people 
• 1.1 million monthly searches 

Massachusetts ranks third in curiosity and performs even better in readiness, placing #6.

The state shows a strong connection between what people want to learn and what support systems exist, which makes it one of the most balanced states in the dataset.

The high volume of searches likely comes from both public interest and the state's newly formed AI hub.

Least AI-Obsessed States in 2025

These states are seeing much lower search activity, and in most cases, they’re also less prepared to support AI growth. 

1. West Virginia

• 55.1 searches per 1,000 people 
• 96,000 monthly searches 

West Virginia ranks last in public search interest for AI-related tools.  

With just 55.1 searches per 1,000 people monthly, the average resident is more than three times less likely to search for AI compared to someone in California. 

The state’s AI-readiness also ranks at the bottom.  

2. Mississippi 

• 58.4 searches per 1,000 people 
• 169,000 monthly searches 

Mississippi is the second-least curious state when it comes to AI search behavior.  

At under 60 searches per 1,000 people per month, that’s nearly three times lower than the U.S. leaders like California or Massachusetts. 

The state also ranks among the lowest in readiness (#47), which creates a double barrier: low interest and low support for adoption.  

3. Wyoming

• 61.3 searches per 1,000 people
• 35,500 monthly searches 

Wyoming has the fewest searches in total because of its small population. But even per person, interest is low.  

With only 61.3 searches per 1,000 people each month, Wyoming's total monthly AI search volume is under 36,000.

It's the lowest in raw numbers among all 50 states, due to its small population. Yet, there are signs of local leadership stepping up.

For instance, Mike Wandler, President of Gillette-based L&H Industrial, has fully embedded AI into daily operations, urging businesses to ACT NOW. 

Outliers Worth Watching 

• Florida (134.6 searches/1,000) and Maryland (141.0/1,000) both show high search engagement and improving AI readiness.
• Rhode Island ranks 43rd in readiness but has a higher search interest (110.7/1,000) than states like Texas and Nevada.

Why This Matters 

By Gianluca Ferruggia, General Manager, DesignRush

As someone who’s seen AI change how our team works, I believe this shift goes beyond just tools. Search interest tells us where people are headed next.

At DesignRush, we’ve spent the past year working closely with AI tools. Testing, learning, and figuring out where they fit best within our workflows. 

States with strong curiosity are best positioned to: 

• Launch training and upskilling programs 
• Invest in better tools for schools and workplaces 
• Expand hiring in tech and beyond 
• Build smart, future-ready policies 

Methodology

To determine which U.S. states are most curious about AI, DesignRush analyzed Google search volume data for 15 AI-related keywords across all 50 states.

These keywords included popular tools and topics such as:

• ChatGPT
• Gemini AI
• Claude AI
• Perplexity AI
• AI tools
• Artificial intelligence courses
• Machine learning
• Deep learning, and others.

We then measured the average monthly search volume for each keyword per state, which allowed us to calculate:

• AI search volume per 1,000 people (used for ranking state interest)
• Total monthly AI searches (for scale)
• National aggregate of AI-related searches, currently averaging 5 million per day, or about 3,600 every minute

These results were then compared to AI readiness scores from DesignRush’s internal index to examine alignment between public interest and state-level capacity to support AI growth.