Claude, Not ChatGPT, Dominated Hallway Talk at HumanX

A conference floor signal about the AI market

HumanX, an AI-focused conference held this week at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, offered a useful read on where industry sentiment may be moving. According to TechCrunch’s reporting from the event, one name came up again and again in discussions about the most popular chatbot for work and business use: Claude.

The conference drew thousands of attendees and centered heavily on agentic AI, especially systems meant to automate business and coding tasks. In that setting, the relative absence of enthusiasm for ChatGPT stood out almost as much as the repeated mentions of Anthropic’s product. TechCrunch reported hearing Claude referenced both in panel discussions and in conversations with vendors on the exhibition floor.

Why that matters

Conference chatter is not the same thing as audited market share, but it can reveal how quickly perception is shifting in an industry that moves on reputation as much as product releases. The report suggests that among at least some power users and enterprise-facing vendors, Claude is increasingly seen as the assistant to beat.

That impression was reinforced by the reasons attendees gave. One vendor told TechCrunch that he and his team used Claude heavily and felt that ChatGPT and OpenAI had declined. The article frames that view as part of a broader narrative that OpenAI has recently struggled with focus and public positioning.

Perception is especially important in the current AI market because adoption often starts with informal testing inside teams. Developers, founders, and operations staff tend to recommend tools to colleagues based on lived experience before procurement processes catch up. If the people experimenting most actively are talking more about Claude, that can become a distribution advantage.

OpenAI’s problem may be narrative as much as product

TechCrunch points to several issues shaping OpenAI’s image. The company recently abandoned side efforts including its video generator Sora and a plan for a more stylized version of ChatGPT, while narrowing attention to business and coding services. At the same time, outside criticism has intensified, including scrutiny of CEO Sam Altman and backlash over OpenAI’s work with the Trump administration and its decision to add advertising to ChatGPT.

None of that proves a collapse in OpenAI’s position. The same report notes that OpenAI and Anthropic still appear close in prominence and revenue, with some data indicating Anthropic is gaining ground among business users rather than decisively overtaking its rival. That distinction matters. A market can feel dramatically different before the rankings fully change.

Still, the article captures a familiar pattern in technology transitions: leadership can start to look unstable before hard financial metrics show a winner. If customers sense a company is reacting to events instead of defining the market, they begin testing alternatives more seriously.

Anthropic’s advantage at this moment

The HumanX snapshot suggests Anthropic has become the default reference point for a certain kind of AI user, particularly those interested in practical agents for work. That may reflect product quality, trust, or simply the current cycle of enthusiasm. In fast-moving software categories, all three often blend together.

Claude’s apparent momentum also fits the conference theme. Agents capable of handling business and coding workflows need to feel dependable before they feel magical. A model associated with steadiness, strong writing, and useful coding support can gain ground quickly in that environment.

What to watch next

The significance of HumanX is not that it settled the competition between Anthropic and OpenAI. It did not. What it did provide was a live industry snapshot at a moment when buyer preferences are still fluid.

If more conferences, enterprise pilots, and internal tool decisions echo what HumanX attendees were saying, the market narrative could continue tilting toward Anthropic. If OpenAI regains a clearer strategic identity and delivers compelling business products, the balance could shift again just as quickly.

For now, the most notable takeaway from the convention floor is simple: in one of the industry’s busiest AI gatherings, Claude generated the buzz that many would once have assumed belonged automatically to ChatGPT.

This article is based on reporting by TechCrunch. Read the original article.