ChatGPT’s undisputed reign is coming to an end. This is the key finding of a new survey of 807 digital professionals in 2026. Generative artificial intelligence, once dominated by a single player, is seeing its market fragment. New competitors are asserting themselves, changing the game for creators, developers, and strategists.
This third annual study, conducted between April and May 2026, reveals massive adoption and increasing specialization of AI tools. Gone are the days when AI was a gadget for a few initiates; it is now an indispensable part of daily professional life. And the solution landscape has never been more dynamic.
Text Giants: A Redefined Top Three
In the most mature segment, text generation, ChatGPT retains its crown, but just barely. Its usage rate plunges from 82% in 2025 to 64.7% in 2026. A drop of over 17 points, which opens the field for a fierce battle for second place.
Anthropic, with its Claude model, achieves a spectacular breakthrough, climbing from 17% to 48.8%. Google Gemini is not far behind, rising from 26% to 43.1%. These figures show that digital professionals are no longer putting all their eggs in one basket. And that’s excellent news for innovation.
| AI Tool | Market Share 2026 | Evolution vs 2025 | Key Positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 64.7% | -17.3 pts | Historical leader, versatility |
| Claude (Anthropic) | 48.8% | +31.8 pts | Rapid progression, long contexts |
| Gemini (Google) | 43.1% | +17.1 pts | Google ecosystem integration, multimodality |
| Microsoft Copilot | 20.8% | Stable | Office productivity |
| Perplexity | 20.2% | Rising | Augmented search, cited sources |
| NotebookLM | 16.6% | New entry | Document processing, note-taking |
Image and Code: AI Specializes
For images, Google makes a strong impact with Nano Banana, a generator integrated into Gemini that directly climbs to second place with 30% of users in its first year. It shakes up ChatGPT, which also sees its share decline here (38.5% versus 51% previously). Canva, meanwhile, remains a solid consumer choice at 25.4%, showing that ease of use remains a priority. This is a perfect example of AI integrating into the tools Sophie, the product manager, already uses.
Code generation is no longer the sole preserve of Alexes, the full-stack developers who sleep four hours a night. Nearly half of professionals (44.7%) now use it. Claude Code takes the lead (29.6%), almost doubling ChatGPT’s Codex (15.2%). This means that less technical profiles can now automate certain programming tasks, or at least communicate better with their development teams.
Note: The adoption of AI for code by non-developers could transform working methods. Alex, the dev, may need to learn to supervise AI as much as to code. For Marcs, the CEOs, this is a serious avenue for team efficiency.
Video and Autonomous Agents: Towards the Unknown?
Video remains the least invested area for generative AI (24.2% of users), but things are moving fast. Google’s Veo takes first place (10.5%), bolstered by its integration into the company’s ecosystem. And then, surprise: OpenAI’s Sora, last year’s leader, plummets to 5.8% and was even discontinued in spring 2026. Unexpected plot twist, right? It’s a brutal reminder of this market’s volatility. A tool can be at the top one day and disappear the next. This is clearly the Wild West of AI.
But the most striking lesson from this survey is the emergence of autonomous AI agents. Off the radar last year, they are already used by 15.2% of professionals. Imagine a system capable of taking initiatives, managing complex tasks without constant supervision. Does that ring a bell? Naturally. This is no longer science fiction.
OpenAI’s Sora Dominates
OpenAI’s video generator was then the undisputed market leader, used by many digital professionals.
Abrupt Discontinuation of Sora
OpenAI announces the end of Sora, disrupting the video generation market. A surprising decision that reshuffles the deck.
Google’s Veo Takes the Lead
Thanks to its integration and developments (Veo 3), Google’s model takes first place. A clear example of the market’s speed.
The Future of AI: Towards Increased Specialization and Ubiquitous Agents?
This survey paints a future where AI will not only be everywhere but also increasingly specialized. Tools will become Swiss Army knives with sharpened blades for every task, from design (19.6% of uses) to presentations (15.6%), including music and voice.
For Léa, 22, who just graduated, the question is no longer whether AI will take her job, but how she will work with it. The challenge is to master these tools, to understand their limits and potential. Autonomous agents, meanwhile, could well be the next major disruption. They promise increased productivity but also raise ethical and control questions. How far will we let them act alone? That’s the big question for the next five years.
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About Rigaud Mickaël
Passionate about tech and a Linux enthusiast, I decipher AI with a unique and intense vision to make it useful to all, between robots, rock and the geek universe.
