Is AI as Popular as It Seems? Insights from New Data

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AI core
Recently, I’ve been exploring the fascinating divergence in AI adoption between professional circles and general consumers. According to Datos and SparkToro’s latest data, this trend is becoming increasingly apparent.

It was intriguing to see how AI usage is starting to plateau among consumers while remaining on the rise in professional environments. Tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini are seemingly more popular in the B2B landscape.

Why we care. As I delve deeper into AI’s impact, it’s becoming clear that a universal AI strategy won’t work for everyone. It’s essential to identify whether my audience aligns with these broader trends or if their AI engagement habits are entirely different.

ChatGPT desktop growth slowed. From Fishkin’s analysis, it appears that ChatGPT’s usage in the U.S. has stagnated over recent months while Claude and Gemini continue their growth trajectories. It seems that professionals are continually finding value in these tools.

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  "caption": "Exploring AI's prominence in business: A chart highlights how AI usage differs among B2B professionals, possibly influencing LinkedIn activity.",
  "description": "This image displays a bar chart from a presentation titled 'Rand’s Theory: Maybe AI use is huge with businesses, not consumers.' The chart shows percentages of US B2B professionals who have searched for AI solutions. The bars represent 'Your Audience' and 'US Average' with notable differences in usage across platforms. A red annotation suggests the data may explain LinkedIn's lower engagement in pro-AI search activities. Keywords: AI usage, B2B professionals, LinkedIn, search activity."
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At its zenith, 37% of U.S. desktop users engaged with OpenAI or ChatGPT back in September 2025. This number dipped slightly to 34% by March, a trend mirrored, albeit with higher numbers, in the EU and U.K.

Claude gained with professionals. I noticed Claude is particularly gaining traction among professional users. Fishkin’s data suggests a significant rise in usage among business professionals, resonating with the notion that AI adoption is stronger in B2B contexts.

The analysis even revealed that Claude’s use among B2B professionals was 373% higher than the U.S. average, reinforcing the tool’s growing popularity in business circles.

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  "caption": "Exploring the AI Landscape: A bar chart reveals how generic US consumers engage with AI across different platforms, highlighting your audience's preferences versus the national average.",
  "description": "This image features a bar chart detailing AI usage among generic US consumers, with a breakdown by platform. The chart compares your audience's engagement level to the US average, highlighting various platforms ranked by usage. The data is visually represented in bars, with colors indicating different audience metrics. The chart is designed for insights into AI usage patterns, offering a visual representation of consumer interactions with technology. This can serve as a crucial resource for understanding market trends and audience behavior in AI technology adoption."
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Consumer audiences look different. Interestingly, when it comes to the retail-shopping consumer audience, ChatGPT isn’t as prevalent, being 15% less likely to be used compared to the typical American consumer. For this group, Claude isn’t even in the top four AI tools.

This might explain why AI seems so prevalent in professional networks like LinkedIn, while its visibility is not as pronounced among general consumers.

The research. You can view Rand Fishkin’s detailed insights on LinkedIn by watching his video here.

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Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.


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FAQs

Is AI adoption still growing across all audiences?

The post describes a split path: AI usage is rising in professional environments while starting to plateau among consumers. That means a universal AI adoption story may miss important audience differences.

Which AI tools are more visible in professional or B2B settings?

The article names Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini as tools that appear more popular in the B2B landscape. It also highlights Claude’s stronger traction among professional users.

What happened to ChatGPT desktop usage in the U.S.?

The post says ChatGPT desktop usage in the U.S. reached 37% of U.S. desktop users in September 2025 and dipped to 34% by March. The article frames that as slowed or stagnating growth in recent months.

Why might AI seem more popular on LinkedIn than with general consumers?

The article suggests AI is more visible in professional networks because business professionals are using AI tools at higher rates. Consumer audiences, including retail-shopping consumers, appear to engage with these tools differently.

How does consumer AI usage differ from professional AI usage in the post?

For retail-shopping consumers, ChatGPT was described as 15% less likely to be used than by the typical American consumer. The post also notes that Claude was not among the top four AI tools for that consumer audience.

What should marketers take from the AI adoption data?

The main takeaway is that one AI strategy will not work for every audience. The post recommends identifying whether a specific audience follows broader AI trends or has different engagement habits.

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