Is the World Really Obsessed with AI Assistants?

When you keep focusing on a certain work topic during the biggest part of your day, you begin to feel that everybody around is also thinking about this thing. As I work with a talented team of AI-magicians, I am surrounded with talk, images, video and just chat about AI... at all times. And of course, I have a feeling that everybody in this world is obsessed with AI. But then comes a weekend, and I suddenly see a completely different world around myself—the world that has little to do with AI. Rather the opposite, majority of those who I meet on Sunday… don't care! They hardly remember that AI exists. So, I decided to check how much interest people have in AI Assistants in general, and how this interest's changed since last year. Here's what I could find out.

If you ask my colleagues (or anyone at BizDriver.ai), they’d say yes—AI is everywhere. We live, breathe, and (sometimes) dream in code, prompts, and neural nets. But then, the real world taps you on the shoulder. The barista, the neighbors, even family at Sunday lunch—most couldn’t care less about ChatGPT or the latest AI agent drama. Some don’t even know what an AI assistant is, and honestly, why should they?

This clash of worlds made me genuinely curious. Is it just us—techy folks—who are hooked? Or has the AI assistant fever spread further than I realize? So I went looking for answers: how many people are actually searching for AI assistants, and is that number growing or shrinking? The results surprised me.

AI Assistant Searches: The Numbers Behind the Buzz

Let’s start with some global numbers—because, yes, people are searching for AI-powered assistants more than ever, but the trend is a little more nuanced than you might think.

1. Explosive Growth in 2024-2025

If you look at countries like South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, AI-related Google searches actually doubled (or more!) year-on-year from 2023 to 2024, growing between 120% and 150%. And that’s not a local fluke; it’s a global phenomenon.

But here’s what really caught my eye: in 2025, searches specifically for “AI agents” (think smarter, more autonomous assistants) skyrocketed by a jaw-dropping 900% compared to the previous year. That’s not a typo—nine. Hundred. Percent.

2. AI Chatbot Traffic vs. Old-School Search

It’s not just what people search—it’s where they end up. Between April 2024 and March 2025, the top 10 AI chatbots on the web attracted 55.2 billion visits. That’s up a massive 80.9% from the prior year (when the number was “just” 30.5 billion).

For context, Google, Bing, and the other traditional search engines together saw 1.872 trillion visits in 2024… but actually dipped slightly to 1.863 trillion in 2025. It’s a tiny percentage drop, but in the world of web traffic, that’s still billions of visits going elsewhere. AI assistants, in other words, are slowly chipping away at the old search monopoly.

3. AI Chatbots: From Curiosity to Habit

By March 2025, AI chatbots were getting 233 million visits a day—yes, daily. That’s still dwarfed by search engines (which clock in at a mind-blowing 5.5 billion daily visits), but the gap is closing. What’s even more interesting is the growth rate: chatbot traffic nearly doubled month-to-month during the first half of 2025.

Some analysts say we’re living in a “zero-click” era—meaning more and more of us are getting our answers straight from AI, without ever actually clicking through to a publisher’s website. If you’re in digital marketing or run a business online, this trend is impossible to ignore.

4. Who’s Driving the Shift? (Hint: It’s the Young Crowd)

This tidal wave of interest isn’t just random. Gen-Z and Millennials are leading the charge—especially in emerging markets. They’re more willing to try new tech, more comfortable talking to bots, and (let’s be honest) way more impatient with old, clunky interfaces.

So, if you still think AI assistants are a Silicon Valley-only thing, it’s time to reconsider.

2024 vs 2025: The Year Everything Accelerated

Let’s break it down, side-by-side:

What do these numbers mean in real life? It’s simple: People are adopting AI assistants at record speed. Meanwhile, the old way of finding answers (scrolling through search results) isn’t growing anymore. In some cases, it’s even shrinking.

Why the World Is Turning to AI Assistants

Let’s be honest: it’s not just about cool tech. AI assistants are getting better at:

• Giving instant, conversational answers (no jargon, no nonsense)

• Automating boring tasks, bookings, and customer support

• Integrating with tools people already use (CRMs, email, WhatsApp, etc.)

• Staying available 24/7 (because nobody likes waiting for Monday)

For businesses, this means real ROI—faster sales, happier customers, and cost savings. For users, it just means less time lost to web searches and more time living life.

Are We Reaching Peak AI Assistant?

Back to my original question: does everyone care about AI assistants? Not yet. There’s still a huge “AI gap” between the tech-obsessed (like me and my team) and the average person. But, based on the data, that gap is shrinking—fast.

I predict that, pretty soon, it’ll feel strange to visit a website without an AI assistant ready to help. It’s a bit like the early days of smartphones—at first, they were rare, then suddenly, everyone had one.

Why I’m So Captivated: A Word About BizDriver.ai

Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t say my own bias comes from working with BizDriver.ai’s own conversational AI Assistant. Every day, I see firsthand just how advanced this technology has become—capable of deep understanding, natural conversations, and real results for businesses of all sizes. In fact, BizDriver.ai’s assistant is so advanced that even among the rising tide of AI platforms, it stands out with features, flexibility, and accuracy that few can match.

That’s why I’m convinced: as more people discover what AI assistants can really do, they’ll start demanding them everywhere. And eventually, sites that don’t offer AI help will feel outdated, clunky… even invisible.

But, as always, the world has a way of surprising us. Time will show. For now, I’m just excited to be along for the ride—and, on Sundays, to remember that life outside the AI bubble is still pretty great, too.