At the HumanX AI conference in San Francisco, thousands gathered at the Moscone Center to discuss the impact of agentic AI on business. These agents are automating tasks across industries through chatbots. The name that came up most often? Claude.
Anthropic was frequently mentioned in panels and by vendors on the floor. ChatGPT wasn’t mentioned as much. A vendor noted their preference for Claude over ChatGPT, expressing that OpenAI had lost its edge.
The perception of OpenAI’s decline persists, despite a $122 billion funding round and an upcoming IPO. The company’s lack of clear focus and recent project cancellations have contributed to this. Negative press, such as a New Yorker article questioning CEO Sam Altman, and controversies like working with the Trump administration, have fueled skepticism. Bret Taylor of Sierra defended Altman, praising his leadership and character.
OpenAI seems reactive rather than proactive. Though OpenAI and Anthropic remain dominant, Anthropic is gaining ground among business users. Financial analysis by The Wall Street Journal shows them as the fastest-growing in tech history. “Falling off” for OpenAI might just mean it faces real competition.
OpenAI is making moves to retain dominance, like introducing a $100 subscription for ChatGPT with more access to Codex. OpenAI CTO Srinivas Narayanan highlighted the rapid technological changes, especially in agentic coding, noting that the field has evolved swiftly in just a few months.
While agentic accomplishments are a significant focus, other AI applications haven’t materialized as expected. Nonetheless, the swift adaptability of companies to automated solutions has been surprising, making the future uncertain but open for possibilities.