Arkansas has recorded almost 28,000 AI-related searches per 100,000 residents in 2026, a 311 percent increase over last year, according to Intuitive Digital.
The 27,934 AI-related searches per 100,000 residents so far in 2026 rank second in the nation behind only Mississippi, which saw a year-over-year jump of 1,024 percent. Arkansas’ rate of growth outpaced that of California by more than 140 percentage points, the study found. The state’s search volume more than quadrupled in 12 months, placing Arkansas ahead of every traditional technology hub in year-over-year AI search momentum, according to the analysis of Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner data by the Oregon digital marketing firm.
The 10 states with the largest year-over-year increase in AI searches per 100,000 residents (2025–2026):
“Arkansas’ rise to second in the nation for AI search growth is a compelling signal that interest in artificial intelligence is accelerating well beyond the traditional tech corridors,” said Nick Footer, CEO of Intuitive Digital. “A 311 percent year-over-year increase demonstrates that curiosity and adoption are taking hold in states that have historically been overlooked in conversations about technology trends. What stands out about Arkansas is the breadth of the growth, from mainstream tools like ChatGPT to specialized platforms like GitHub Copilot and Google Gemini, residents are exploring the full spectrum of AI applications. This kind of broad-based momentum suggests that the state is not just catching up but is actively engaging with the next wave of digital transformation.”
ChatGPT remained the most-searched AI tool in Arkansas, growing from 201,000 to 823,000 searches. The fastest-growing tool used by Arkansans is Google Gemini, which surged by 834 percent from 2,900 searches to 27,100. Grok AI posted a 400 percent increase, rising from 880 to 4,400 searches, while ChatGPT’s 309 percent jump added more than 622,000 searches in absolute terms. The new Nano Banana AI, which had zero recorded searches in 2025, registered 170 searches in 2026.
Click here for the full report and analysis breakdown.
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