ISLAMABAD: War, artificial intelligence, and climate catastrophe dominated Google's year-end searches, revealing a world gripped by uncertainty as billions of users turned to Google seeking understanding amid unprecedented turmoil.

The Google Year in Search 2025 list, which analyzes billions of queries made across the platform, shows users repeatedly turned to the internet to make sense of geopolitical conflict, economic pressure, rapid technological change, and escalating environmental crises.

Gemini, Google's AI assistant, claimed the top spot as the year's most-searched term globally. Chinese AI company DeepSeek also ranked in the top 10, reflecting widespread fascination with rapidly advancing technology. Users searched phrases like ‘AI replacing jobs,’ ‘AI regulation,’ and ‘how safe is AI,’ signaling deep anxiety about automation's impact.

War-related searches surged throughout the year. Queries such as ‘World War 3,’ ‘Middle East war,’ and ‘global security’ ranked among the most searched topics globally, reflecting persistent concern over instability in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and beyond.

The assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk topped global news searches, followed by Iran, which saw heightened interest during a 12-day conflict with Israel in June. The death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, also generated massive traffic.

Environment, tech, and entertainment searches

Climate disasters pushed environmental searches to record levels. In the United States, the LA Fires and Hurricane Melissa dominated, while heatwaves, floods, and wildfires triggered spikes across Asia, Europe, and North America.

Tech leaders remained under intense scrutiny. Elon Musk topped business-related searches, followed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and NVIDIA's Jensen Huang, whose company became central to AI chip supply amid US-China semiconductor rivalries.

American singer d4vd emerged as the most searched person globally after Los Angeles police found a 14-year-old girl's body in his Tesla over the summer, triggering widespread media attention and an ongoing investigation.

Entertainment offered escapism. Oscar-winning film "Anora" led movie searches, while "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" and "Squid Game 3" dominated television. Even consumer culture reflected authenticity concerns, with "How do I know if my Labubu is real?" spiking as collectors sought genuine designer toys.

Cricket searches dominated sports, with India vs England matches ranking second globally, alongside the Club World Cup and Asia Cup.

In a statement accompanying the release, Google said Year in Search offers “a snapshot of what mattered most to people around the world in 2025,” capturing moments of crises as well as collective curiosity.

"Tell me about..." searches surged 70% year-over-year, while "How do I..." queries increased 25%, suggesting people are seeking a more profound understanding rather than quick facts, according to Google.

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War, AI and climate fears dominate Google searches in 2025