Recent survey findings reveal that Anthropic’s Claude is the most popular AI tool among U.S. professionals, surpassing competitors like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, a new survey sheds light on the preferences of U.S. professionals regarding workplace AI tools. While major tech companies are eager to promote their proprietary AI solutions, it appears that users are making their choices based on performance rather than corporate allegiance.
Conducted by Blind, an anonymous professional community platform, the survey indicates that Claude, developed by Anthropic, has emerged as the most widely used AI model in corporate environments. Surprisingly, Claude has outperformed more established competitors, including ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. According to the survey, 31.7% of respondents reported using Claude as their primary AI tool at work, regardless of their employer’s preferences.
The survey collected responses from verified U.S.-based professionals during December, with a significant number identifying as software engineers. Participants sought AI assistance across various tasks, including debugging, system design, documentation, and content generation.
Despite Claude’s leading position, the survey reveals a more complex reality: professionals are not committing to a single AI model. Instead, many are curating personalized toolkits tailored to their specific needs. Vasudha Badri Paul, founder of Avatara AI, shared her experience, stating that her daily workflow involves multiple platforms. “I use Perplexity and Notebook LLM most frequently. For research and learning, I go to Claude and Gemini, while ChatGPT is my go-to for content,” she explained. Paul also incorporates Notion AI for organization, Sora for short video generation, Canva Magic Studio for graphics, and Gamma for slide decks.
This trend reflects a pragmatic approach among users, who are increasingly willing to switch between tools rather than remain loyal to a single ecosystem.
When it comes to coding, Claude’s advantages become particularly pronounced. The survey indicates that among developers, Claude excels in software development tasks. Many respondents highlighted its capabilities in writing and understanding complex code, an area where company-backed tools often face resistance. The survey found that 19.6% of professionals use ChatGPT, while 15% rely on Gemini. GitHub Copilot is close behind with 14.2%, and another 11.5% reported using Cursor.
The survey also explored preferences within companies that have their own AI products. At Meta, for instance, 50.7% of surveyed employees indicated that Claude was their preferred AI model, while only 8.2% reported using Meta AI. A similar trend was observed among Microsoft employees, where 34.8% favored Claude, narrowly ahead of Copilot at 32.2%, with ChatGPT trailing at 18.3%.
One key takeaway from the survey is that corporate backing does not necessarily guarantee employee loyalty. In an era where productivity is increasingly driven by AI tools, professionals are prioritizing effectiveness over brand allegiance.
Nitin Kumar, an app developer and solutions manager, noted the shift in his own AI stack over the past year. He stated, “Claude is definitely the most superior for software development.” Kumar recently canceled his ChatGPT Plus subscription, citing a lack of utility. However, he acknowledged that the AI landscape is still evolving, adding, “Gemini 3 Pro changed the game completely for non-coding uses.” He believes that coding capabilities are now nearly on par with Claude Opus 4.5.
Kumar’s insights reflect a broader trend of users experimenting with different tools and comparing version upgrades to find the best fit for their needs.
Interestingly, Google employees showed the strongest internal alignment, with 57.6% of those surveyed using Gemini as their primary AI model. However, this preference did not extend beyond Google’s offices, as only 11.6% of Amazon employees selected Gemini as their top choice. Amazon’s own AI tools, such as Amazon CodeWhisperer, received minimal traction, with just 0.7% of respondents indicating they used it.
Ultimately, the survey highlights a significant shift in how professionals engage with AI. Rather than adopting tools based on corporate mandates or branding, workers are choosing solutions that demonstrably enhance their speed, accuracy, and overall output. While Claude currently leads the pack, its dominance may not be permanent, but it has certainly established a measure of trust among users for now.
According to Blind, the findings underscore the importance of user experience in the competitive AI landscape.