The atmosphere at San Francisco’s Moscone Center this week was electric. Thousands of tech professionals gathered for the HumanX AI conference, and one topic dominated the conversation: the rise of agentic AI and the surprising shift in which chatbot was on everyone’s lips. While discussions centered on how autonomous AI agents are revolutionizing business and coding tasks, a clear favorite emerged from the chatter on panels and the convention floor—and it wasn’t the one many would have predicted a year ago.
The Claude Consensus at HumanX
Walking the floor at HumanX, I consistently heard one name mentioned more than any other: Claude, the AI assistant from Anthropic. Vendors, developers, and panelists alike were singing its praises. One vendor explicitly told me his team heavily relies on Claude, adding the pointed opinion that ChatGPT and OpenAI had “gone downhill”—echoing the internet sentiment that they’ve “fell off.” This wasn’t an isolated view. The perception that OpenAI, despite its massive $122 billion funding round and impending IPO, has lost its strategic footing was a recurring theme.
OpenAI’s Perception Problem: Focus and Controversy
So, what’s behind this shift in sentiment? Part of OpenAI’s challenge appears to be a perceived lack of focus. Last month, the company shelved several high-profile side projects, including its much-hyped AI video generator, Sora, and a controversial plan for a “sexy” ChatGPT persona. It has since narrowed its public strategy to business and coding services. However, this pivot feels reactive, not visionary.
Compounding this are several public relations headaches:
A critical New Yorker profile questioning CEO Sam Altman’s trustworthiness.
Controversial work with the Trump administration.
- The unpopular decision to inject advertising into ChatGPT.
These events have created a cloud of negative buzz, making the company seem like it’s constantly playing defense. During a HumanX discussion, OpenAI board chairman Bret Taylor defended Altman, calling him “one of the most visible leaders and executives in the world” and a “remarkable leader of AI.” Yet, the need for such a defense highlights the reputational damage.
The Business Reality: A Fierce Two-Horse Race
Despite the perception issues, the business numbers tell a more nuanced story. When it comes to prominence and revenue, OpenAI and Anthropic are in a neck-and-neck race. A recent Wall Street Journal analysis labeled them “the fastest-growing businesses in the history of tech.” Data suggests Anthropic is gaining significant ground, especially among business users. Perhaps OpenAI’s “falling off” simply means it’s no longer the undisputed, solitary champion. A competitive market, after all, is a sign of a healthy industry.
!A bustling conference hall at Moscone Center during HumanX, with attendees discussing AI.
OpenAI’s Counter-Strategy: Doubling Down on Coding
OpenAI is clearly not standing still. In a direct move to counter Claude’s appeal, particularly its coding prowess (Claude Code), OpenAI announced a new $100 per month ChatGPT subscription tier. This premium plan offers substantially more access to Codex, its AI coding tool. The strategy is transparent: make ChatGPT indispensable for developers and businesses, hoping to win back users migrating to Claude for technical tasks.
During a conference talk with Bloomberg’s Rachel Metz, OpenAI CTO for B2B applications, Srinivas Narayanan, addressed the breakneck pace of change. “We are in this incredible moment in technology, where every month, and sometimes every day, we are all looking forward to something new,” he said. He highlighted agentic coding as a prime example, noting that the entire field has transformed in just a few months.
The Agentic AI Revolution is Here
Narayanan’s point underscores the core theme of HumanX. The most tangible and explosive growth in AI right now is in agentic AI—systems that can autonomously execute complex business and coding tasks. While creative applications have captured public imagination, it’s the silent, efficient automation of workflows that is driving enterprise adoption. Companies are offloading surprising amounts of work to these “automated helpers,” and this shift has happened astonishingly fast.
Looking Ahead: An Unpredictable and Open Future
The key takeaway from HumanX is that the AI landscape is more dynamic and competitive than ever. OpenAI remains a powerhouse, but Anthropic’s Claude has successfully positioned itself as a reliable, focused, and perhaps more trustworthy alternative for serious business applications. The competition is pushing both companies to innovate rapidly, especially in the lucrative domain of agentic AI.
For businesses and developers, this is excellent news. The era of a single, dominant AI provider is over. We are now in a multi-model world where competition drives better products, sharper focus, and more strategic innovation. The future is wide open, and as the buzz at HumanX proved, no company’s lead is safe.
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