People Are Getting Obsessed with AI Prompts, Here’s What Global Search Data Tells Us

AI is no longer a shiny toy just for the tech crowd. Everyone from small business owners to college students are trying to figure out how to talk to machines. And not just casually, global search data shows a surge in people looking up how to write better prompts for tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Adobe Firefly. Curious? You’re not alone.

A recent report from Adobe Express ^[1] digs into this exact trend, blending U.S. survey results with worldwide search data. It’s not just about what tools people are using, it’s about how people everywhere are racing to get better at using them.

Everyone’s Asking the Same Question: “How Do I Prompt This Thing?”

You might expect tech-savvy users in the U.S. or Germany to be leading the charge, and they are. But they’re not alone. Adobe’s data shows that AI prompt curiosity is literally everywhere. People are Googling how to get AI to write better stories, create sharper images, mimic artistic styles, and more.

Take a look at these global annual search volumes:

Prompts for ChatGPT: 70,060
Prompts for Midjourney: 69,710
Stable Diffusion prompts: 35,790
Adobe Firefly prompts: 15,970
Prompts for DALL·E: 14,160

Clearly, folks aren’t just clicking “generate.” They want to steer the AI ship themselves, and get better results in the process.

Where Is Prompt Curiosity Heating Up the Fastest?

Unsurprisingly, the U.S. and India are leading the charge. Germany’s in there too, as expected. But what’s really interesting is that countries like Ukraine and Pakistan are also showing strong activity in AI-related search trends.

Here’s the top 10 list:

United States
India
Germany
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Brazil
Canada
Spain
France
Pakistan

What does this tell us? Curiosity about generative AI spans beyond big economies. It’s reaching into emerging markets, which could signal bigger global shifts in tech education and creative tooling in the years ahead.

So… Who’s Looking Things Up, and For What Reason?

Adobe also broke down interest by specific tools:

ChatGPT prompts were most popular in India, followed by the U.S., Germany, the U.K., and Pakistan.
Midjourney got lots of attention from the U.S., India, and Ukraine.
DALL·E was big in Spain and France.
Firefly got love from the U.S., Germany, Japan, and the U.K.

This tells us that AI isn’t just for English-speaking users or traditional tech hubs. Design-focused tools like Firefly are making waves in countries with strong visual arts communities.

Zooming In: What’s Happening in the U.S.?

Turns out the AI buzz isn’t just a West Coast thing. Sure, states like California are active, but so are places like Ohio, Georgia, and Virginia.

Top U.S. prompt queries include:

ChatGPT: 13,270
Midjourney: 11,840
Stable Diffusion: 6,040
Firefly: 4,050
DALL·E: 3,430

Oregon saw a spike in Midjourney queries. Massachusetts leaned into Firefly. And across the Midwest, ChatGPT is getting serious attention.

This tells us that AI curiosity is less about tech infrastructure and more about creative opportunity. People are using these tools to solve real problems, not just play with them.

But What About Learning to Prompt? That’s the Real Growth Area

If you thought folks were just playing around, think again. According to Adobe’s U.S. survey:

79% of people want to learn how to write better prompts.
67% said they’d take a course on prompt writing.

The top skills they want to learn?

How to tailor prompts for different tools (78%)
How to create specific art styles (38%)
The differences between AI models (37%)

Clearly, people are hungry to understand not just how to use AI, but how to use it well. That’s a big deal.

How Do People Want to Learn?

We live in the age of YouTube tutorials and short attention spans, so it makes sense that most learners prefer flexible formats:

Pre-recorded video lessons: 53%
Interactive workshops: 19%
Live online classes: 17%

Basically, if it’s bite-sized and available on-demand, it’s going to get traction. But there’s still room for live or guided learning, especially when new tools drop.

Different Generations, Different Motivations

The age gap matters too. Here’s what Adobe found:

Gen Z (18–27): Highest familiarity with AI (87%). They’re drawn to new platforms like Copy.ai and Character.ai.
Millennials (28–44): Most eager to improve prompt skills. Likely aiming to keep up professionally.
Gen X and Boomers: Less engaged overall, possibly due to steeper learning curves or lower perceived value.

This generational divide is useful for anyone designing AI education or tool onboarding. You can’t market to everyone the same way.

Why Any of This Matters In the Long Run

Let’s zoom out for a second. Search trends don’t lie, they reflect what people care about. And right now, people care a lot about learning how to talk to AI in a way that gets better results.

This is about more than just cool art or faster emails. Prompting is fast becoming a new kind of literacy. Just like knowing how to Google well or use Excel was once a competitive edge, prompt fluency could be the next big skill that separates dabblers from doers.

And here’s the kicker, this trend isn’t slowing down. If anything, it’s just starting. With tools for video, music, 3D, and coding emerging, prompting is about to get a whole lot more complex, and interesting.

The Big Picture

The Adobe data isn’t just a snapshot of interest; it’s a map of where the digital world is headed. Whether you’re a content creator, designer, small business owner, or educator, learning how to prompt AI effectively might just become as standard as knowing how to use a search engine.

So, next time you find yourself typing a question into ChatGPT, remember, you’re not alone. You’re part of a global movement trying to figure out how to speak the language of machines. And the better you get at it, the more doors it opens.