According to a joint survey by Epoch AI and Ipsos, Claude, the AI assistant from Anthropic, has shown an extremely unique user profile in the United States. Data shows that as many as 80% of Claude's adult users come from households with an annual income exceeding $100,000, a proportion that leads all mainstream AI assistants.

Vertical Choice for High-Net-Worth Individuals

In comparison, the wealth concentration among users of other competitors is significantly lower. Microsoft Copilot ranks second with a high-income user ratio of 64%, while industry leader ChatGPT and Grok, along with Google Gemini, are tied at 56%, and Meta AI, backed by a social media giant, only reaches 37%, forming a sharp contrast with Claude's user composition.

Although Claude has a highly "valuable" user base, it still lags behind in overall market penetration. Among high-income groups, ChatGPT continues to dominate with a 37% market share, while Claude's actual coverage is only 6%, meaning it currently functions more as a specialized tool for a specific elite group.

Technical Divide May Widen Economic Gaps

What is concerning is that this difference in user distribution may have deeper social implications. Anthropic's previous research indicates that more powerful AI models can help users gain more benefits in complex transaction negotiations, while users of weaker models often find themselves at a disadvantage unconsciously.

If high-performance AI models continue to concentrate among high-income groups, this "digital leverage" could further widen existing economic gaps. Currently, 44% of high-income individuals have yet to engage with artificial intelligence, and as technology becomes more deeply embedded, preferences in using AI assistants may become a key factor in future career competitiveness and wealth accumulation.