AI Chatbots Surge in Popularity Among High-Income Earners, Study Reveals

AI is Most Popular with People Earning Six Figures, Study Shows

AI has threatened to displace large swaths of the workforce, and many people are scared that it will take their jobs. A certain segment of the population seems unconcerned though, and even pretty enthusiastic about it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, AI is most popular amongst the group of workers making over $100 thousand, one study has found. The study comes from business intelligence firm Morning Consult, and breaks down the fastest growing brands by income level across a variety of product categories. As you can see from the below screenshot, the brands that are gaining the most loyalty the fastest for those making six-figures are the AI companies Gemini and OpenAI, followed closely by WhatsApp. Microsoft Copilot is also thrown into the mix. ChatGPT is also on the list in addition to its parent company. When it comes to overall chatbot popularity for this income group, there is a clear winner: ChatGPT. "When we compare the key brand metrics for seven of the biggest AI chatbots amongst high -income consumers, we see there’s a clear front -runner in most categories â€" ChatGPT," the report says. The popularity of OpenAI's flagship product is propped up by "much higher awareness than its competitors." The report also notes that ChatGPT has a "much higher total considering share â€" nearly 10 points higher than its closest competitor." By contrast, the top two fastest growing brands for people making between $50k-$99k are DoorDash and MTV. Meanwhile, for people making under $50k, the top two growing brands are Discount Tire and Great Value French Fried Potato Chips. The study is full of other somewhat comical findings, including analysis based on generational preferences (Baby Boomers are obsessed with Pringles, for instance, while Gen-Z's fastest growing brand appears to be UberEATs). Axios interviewed a Morning Consult exec to find out more: Such interest in AI tools has been growing steadily, says Bobby Blanchard, senior director of audience development at Morning Consult. But this year, it was "explosive" for high-income consumers. Brand awareness, among consumers earning more than $100,000 was at 78% for Gemini by the end of the third quarter, up from 62% in the first three months of the year,  making it "one of the fastest-growing AI chatbots," Blanchard says. AI is largely designed to replace low-level clerical work and provide convenience to those operating in managerial positions, so it sorta makes sense that those people would be the most enthusiastic about it.

AI's popularity is soaring among the highest-income earners

For those earning less than six figures, brands that ranked higher were more "value-focused," like Fruit of the Loom and Discount Tire. How it works: Morning Consult measured growth in "purchasing intent" -- the share of consumers who said they were considering buying, or "engaging with," a brand. * The data intelligence firm looked at the change in purchasing intent from the first quarter of the year to the third quarter, across 2,511 brands. The big picture: Such interest in AI tools has been growing steadily, says Bobby Blanchard, senior director of audience development at Morning Consult. But this year, it was "explosive" for high-income consumers. * Brand awareness, among consumers earning more than $100,000 was at 78% for Gemini by the end of the third quarter, up from 62% in the first three months of the year, making it "one of the fastest-growing AI chatbots," Blanchard says. * Google's strength in AI has been quietly building, as Axios reported Monday. Reality check: While Gemini is seeing a pop now, ChatGPT still ranks highest in brand awareness. * 89% of high-income consumers are familiar with the brand. The fastest-growing brands among those earning more than $100k: The fastest growing brands among those earning between $50k and $99.9k: The fastest growing brands among those earning less than $50k: