Claude’s Desktop Conversations Surge 1,858% as AI Reshapes Search and Discovery — Comscore, Inc.

Event summary

Claude recorded 1,858% growth in desktop conversations between March 2026 and October 2025, reaching 22 million in March 2026.
ChatGPT remained the category leader with 244 million desktop conversations in March 2026, up 55% year over year.
Women over-indexed on mobile AI usage across ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini, with index scores of 113, 123, and 118 respectively.
AI assistant tools reached 36% of desktop users and 23% of mobile users in Q1 2026.
AI Overviews appeared alongside 46% of paid search ads in consumer credit cards in Q4 2025, up from 21% in Q2 2025.

The big picture

Comscore’s Q1 2026 AI Intelligence Report highlights the accelerating influence of AI on consumer decision-making, with Claude emerging as a significant challenger to ChatGPT’s dominance. The data underscores AI’s growing role in search and discovery, particularly in high-consideration categories like consumer credit cards. As AI tools become more integrated into daily digital behaviors, understanding their impact on consumer intent and purchase journeys will be critical for brands and publishers.

What we're watching

Market Share Dynamics: How Claude will sustain its rapid growth against established leaders like ChatGPT.
Consumer Behavior Shifts: Whether the gender disparity in mobile AI adoption will influence platform strategies.
AI Integration Pace: The pace at which AI search becomes a dominant discovery layer in high-consideration purchase journeys.