ChatGPT Drops Below 50%: The AI Market Is Spreading Out

For a long time, talking about artificial intelligence at the office meant talking about ChatGPT. The name became a reflex, almost a synonym. A report published in mid-June 2026 by the analytics firm Sensor Tower marks a turning point, though: for the first time, OpenAI’s assistant has fallen below 50% of the global market.

It is not that ChatGPT is shrinking in absolute terms, it keeps adding users. It is that its competitors, Google Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude, are growing much faster. For a business in Trois-Rivières or elsewhere in Quebec, this is not just a leaderboard story: it changes how you should choose and fold these tools into everyday work.

1. What the numbers actually say

Sensor Tower’s report covers 25 markets worldwide and gives a clear picture of where things stood in May 2026. Here are the main lines, based on indicative figures reported in the trade press:

• ChatGPT: 46.4% market share, down from 52.8% in December 2025 and 65.3% in December 2024. It remains in first place, with roughly 1.1 billion monthly users.
• Google Gemini: 27.7% of the market, around 662 million monthly users. Its growth comes mostly from being built directly into Google’s products (Gmail, Docs, Android).
• Claude (Anthropic): 10.3% of the market, but a striking climb: from roughly 60 million users in December 2025 to 245 million in May 2026.

In other words, the market is not shrinking, it is dividing up. We are moving from a near monopoly to genuine three-way competition, without counting smaller players such as Grok, Perplexity or Microsoft’s Copilot, which are carving out space on specific uses.

2. Why ChatGPT is losing ground

Several factors explain the rebalancing, and none of them is trivial for a company choosing a technology partner.

Native integration makes the difference

Gemini enjoys a simple advantage: it is already inside the tools millions of people use every day. When the AI shows up right in Gmail or in a document, there is no need to open another site. For a business, that is an important lesson: the most useful tool is not always the most powerful on paper, it is the one that fits best into how you already work.

Trust and values count

The report raises an interesting point: an OpenAI agreement with the United States Department of Defense in early 2026 produced a measurable spike in uninstalls. Users increasingly look at the values behind a tool, not only its features. Claude, for its part, built its reputation on safety and productivity, which appeals to the professional world.

Specialization by task

Each assistant is developing its own strengths. Some excel at writing, others at analyzing code, others at summarizing long documents. The "one tool for everything" reflex makes less sense when each option shines on different ground.

3. What this changes in practice for your business

Beyond the rankings, this diversification has practical consequences for a company in the Mauricie or Quebec City starting to fold AI into its operations.

• Avoid depending on one vendor. Building all your processes around a single assistant leaves you exposed if its prices change, a feature disappears or the service is suspended, as we saw recently with certain models pulled without notice.
• Prices move fast. Subscription and token rates (the unit AI usage is measured in) change often. Always check the official pricing pages before committing, and budget accordingly.
• Data protection stays the priority. Whichever assistant you pick, the real question is: where does your data go, who can read it, and are you meeting Law 25? This is where professional guidance makes all the difference.

At OKTO we help companies make these choices without getting lost in the marketing of the tech giants. Our managed IT services include assessing AI tools against your real needs and your privacy obligations.

4. How to choose the right AI tool in 2026

With three solid major players and several specialists, the right approach is no longer to pick a winner but to build a simple strategy. Here is how to go about it without overcomplicating things.

• Start from the task, not the brand. Ask what you want to accomplish: drafting email, analyzing numbers, summarizing contracts. Then choose the tool that is strongest for that specific job.
• Look at what you already use. If your business runs on Microsoft 365, an assistant built into your suite may be simpler to deploy than an outside tool. Less friction, more adoption by your team.
• Test before you generalize. Run a trial with a small team or a pilot project before imposing a tool on the whole company. You will avoid unpleasant surprises and needless spending.
• Set the rules. Give your employees clear guidance: what information can go into an assistant, and what stays confidential. A one-page AI usage policy beats nothing at all.

The upside of the current situation is that competition pushes every vendor to improve and to lower prices. A well-advised business now has access to tools that were reserved for large enterprises barely two years ago.

Frequently asked questions

Is ChatGPT still the best AI assistant?

ChatGPT is still the most used in the world and remains an excellent generalist tool. But "best" depends on your need: Gemini shines inside the Google ecosystem, Claude has a reputation for writing and for analyzing long documents. The right choice is the one that fits your work, not the one at the top of the chart.

Should a business use more than one AI assistant?

Often, yes. Many companies use a tool built into their office suite for daily work and a specialized assistant for specific tasks. What matters is keeping control over costs, access and data privacy.

Is my data safe with these tools?

That depends on the vendor, the plan and the configuration. Business versions generally offer better guarantees than free consumer versions. In Quebec, Law 25 imposes specific obligations around personal information, so specialized guidance is strongly recommended before deploying AI widely.

Making the right AI choices, with a partner you trust

The AI market is spreading out, and that is good news: more choice, more competition, better prices. More choice also means more decisions to make, and each one touches your data and your budget. Rather than following the trend, take the time to line your tools up with your real needs. Our team helps you evaluate the options, protect your information and train your staff. Take a look at our IT services for businesses or get in touch to discuss your AI strategy in Trois-Rivières, the Mauricie or anywhere in Quebec.