AI's popularity is soaring among the highest-income earners
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Google AI tool Gemini and ChatGPT were the two fastest-growing brands in 2025 among those earning more than $100,000 a year, a new report from Morning Consult finds.
Why it matters: AI brands didn't even make it into the top 20 for lower-earning households — a sign of a growing gap between the rich and everyone else in this economy.
- 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:
- Gemini
- OpenAI
- Amazon Prime Secured Card
- Canva
The fastest growing brands among those earning between $50k and $99.9k:
- DoorDash
- MTV
- Tostitos
- Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- Fruit of the Loom
The fastest growing brands among those earning less than $50k:
- Discount Tire
- Great Value French Fried Potatoes
- Zoom
- Chime
- Sargento
