Survey: Claude US Users Wealthier Than AI Rivals
A new survey shows Claude attracts far wealthier weekly active users in the United States compared to other major AI assistants. Conducted by Epoch AI and Ipsos, the study found 80 percent of US adults who use Claude reside in households with annual incomes above $100,000. This figure exceeds competitors significantly. CoPilot directory users reach 64 percent in that income bracket. ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini directory on Neura Market each hit 56 percent. Meta AI trails at only 37 percent.
Detailed User Income Breakdown
Claude's advantage stands out clearly in the data. Fully 80 percent of its users earn over $100,000 per household, which is more than double Meta AI's rate. Epoch AI, a research group focused on AI trends and scaling, partnered with Ipsos, a global market research firm known for large-scale consumer surveys, to gather this information. The results highlight a distinct socioeconomic skew for Claude, developed by Anthropic, a company founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives with a focus on safe AI systems.
In contrast, other services show lower concentrations among high-income groups. Microsoft Copilot, integrated into Microsoft's productivity tools like Office and Bing, appeals to a broader but less affluent base. ChatGPT from OpenAI, launched in late 2022 and now a household name, draws from a wide audience. Grok, built by xAI under Elon Musk's direction, and Google Gemini, Google's multimodal AI successor to Bard, match at 56 percent. Meta AI, embedded in Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has the lowest share at 37 percent.
Absolute Usage Among High Earners
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Epoch AI points out that Claude's edge remains relative, not absolute. Among US households earning over $100,000, ChatGPT leads with 37 percent usage. Google Gemini follows at 24 percent, Microsoft Copilot at 14 percent, and Claude at just 6 percent. Notably, 44 percent of these high earners report no AI usage at all. The survey drew from three waves conducted between March and April 2026, providing a snapshot of early adoption patterns.
This data underscores differences in market penetration. OpenAI's ChatGPT, with billions of visits monthly since its debut, dominates overall and among affluent users in raw numbers. Anthropic's Claude, released in versions like Claude 3 in 2024, emphasizes capabilities in reasoning and coding, attracting a niche of high-income professionals. Google, Microsoft, xAI, and Meta compete in a crowded field, each leveraging their ecosystems for distribution.
Ties to Recent AI Research
These findings align with a recent Anthropic study on AI in negotiations. It demonstrated that stronger AI models secure better prices in transactions. Users of weaker models failed to notice their disadvantages. Epoch AI suggests this dynamic might apply broadly. If capable models continue drawing wealthier users disproportionately, they could amplify economic divides over time.
Anthropic, backed by investors like Amazon and Google, prioritizes model safety alongside performance. Epoch AI tracks AI progress to inform policy. Ipsos brings rigorous polling methods. Together, their work offers early insights into AI demographics as tools proliferate.