Anthropic’s Claude reveals where AI is and isn’t taking off

Claude’s usage maps widening the AI gap

Anthropic’s latest Economic Index suggests AI adoption is clustering in wealthier, knowledge-driven economies—both across countries and within the United States—raising concerns about a growing digital and economic divide. Read the full report here.

Global usage patterns

The company analyzed about one million August conversations with its chatbot, Claude, to understand where and how people use the tool. On raw volume, the U.S. accounts for the largest share of global usage at 21.6%, followed by India at 7.2%, with Brazil, Japan, and South Korea each at 3.7%.

Population-adjusted leaderboard

Adjusting for each country’s share of the global working-age population reveals a different leaderboard. Smaller, high-income nations dominate on a population-adjusted basis: Singapore and Israel top the rankings, with Estonia, Malta, Luxembourg, and Switzerland also appearing prominently. Emerging economies such as India, Indonesia, and Nigeria lag by this measure.

• Leaders: Singapore, Israel, Estonia, Malta, Luxembourg, Switzerland
• Laggards (by population-adjusted usage): India, Indonesia, Nigeria

What’s driving the divide?

Anthropic links the pattern to income levels, reliable internet access, and the prevalence of knowledge work over manufacturing. The company cautions that if AI’s benefits accrue most to richer nations, the technology could deepen global economic divergence, echoing the unequal gains seen after earlier general-purpose innovations like electrification and the combustion engine.

A similar pattern inside the U.S.

A similar divide appears within the U.S. Northeastern states (New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and the District of Columbia) and West Coast states (California, Washington, and Oregon) rank in the top quartile, while several southern states (Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) fall into the bottom quartile.

While higher per-capita GDP correlates with greater usage nationally, Anthropic notes that state-level results vary more than the global pattern, suggesting other forces are at work. The nature of local economies appears to matter: Washington, D.C., which leads the U.S. index, sees unusually frequent requests for document editing and information retrieval, while California, ranked third, generates a high share of coding tasks.

How are people using Claude?

The report also examines how people are using AI—what types of tasks they submit, the balance between automation and augmentation, and which professions are most engaged. Beyond its warning about uneven uptake, Anthropic strikes a cautiously optimistic tone: usage patterns are still taking shape, and early signs point to growing comfort with AI tools like Claude.

Task patterns by region

• Washington, D.C.: Unusually frequent requests for document editing and information retrieval
• California: A high share of coding tasks

Implications for policy and business

The findings underscore a familiar theme in technology adoption: where wealth, connectivity, and knowledge industries concentrate, new tools spread fastest. Policymakers, educators, and businesses may need to address access and skills gaps to ensure the economic gains from AI do not become more uneven over time.

• Invest in reliable, affordable internet infrastructure
• Expand digital literacy and AI skills training
• Support adoption in SMEs and public services
• Encourage responsible, inclusive AI deployment

The bottom line

AI’s economic upside is real. However, without intentional action, its benefits may concentrate where they already accrue, widening both digital and income divides.