Assessing public interest in artificial intelligence in dermatology: A Google Trends analysis

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming dermatology, particularly through diagnostic imaging and enhancing patient management. Despite expanding clinical applications, public engagement with AI in dermatology remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by analyzing public interest in AI dermatology over the past decade using Google Trends. Search terms were categorized into groups of "AI dermatology," "general AI," "AI nondermatology," "general dermatology," and "general nondermatology." Monthly Search Volume Index values from January 2015 to January 2025 were collected, and linear and exponential regression models quantified temporal trends. Geographic analysis evaluated the frequency of countries appearing in the top five search volumes for each term. Public interest in AI dermatology terms increased markedly after 2022, with growth of 73.6%, 143.6%, and 59.1% in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively. AI dermatology terms demonstrated a steeper linear slope (6.212) compared with general AI (6.181) and dermatology terms (1.61), and an exponential growth factor of 0.551. Interest was highest in Singapore, Ireland, Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. These findings indicate a substantial rise in global engagement with AI in dermatology and highlight the importance of integrating public interest considerations into AI tool development, clinical practice, patient safety, and equitable access.

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