AI Adoption Diverges Between Professionals and Consumers
Segment audiences by professional vs consumer AI usage to tailor marketing strategies.
Analyze audience AI usage and adjust content and advertising accordingly.
Summary
Rand Fishkin’s analysis of Datos desktop‑panel data and SparkToro audience comparisons shows a divergence between professional and consumer AI adoption. ChatGPT and OpenAI usage plateaued in the U.S. from September 2025 to March 2026, while Claude and Gemini continued to grow. The business‑oriented audience displayed a 373 % lift in Claude usage versus the U.S. average, indicating strong professional adoption. In contrast, the retail‑shopping consumer audience was 15 % less likely to use ChatGPT and did not rank among the top four AI tools. Fishkin’s findings suggest that AI usage feels more dominant in professional online communities like LinkedIn than in broader consumer behavior. The research highlights the need to segment audiences when planning AI‑driven marketing strategies. The study also notes that professional audiences are more likely to use Claude, while consumers favor other tools. Understanding these patterns can help marketers tailor content and advertising to the right audience segments.
Key changes
- ChatGPT and OpenAI usage plateaued from Sep 2025 to Mar 2026
- Claude and Gemini continued to grow during same period
- Business audience shows 373 % lift in Claude usage vs U.S. average
- Retail‑shopping consumer audience 15 % less likely to use ChatGPT
- AI usage feels dominant in professional communities like LinkedIn
- Need to segment audiences for AI‑driven marketing
- Professional audiences favor Claude; consumers favor other tools
- Tailoring content and ads to audience segments improves effectiveness