The recent HumanX AI conference in San Francisco drew thousands of technology professionals to the Moscone Center, where the central theme of discussion revolved around the transformative impact of agentic AI on business and coding. Agentic AI, designed to automate complex tasks, is increasingly being deployed across diverse industries, primarily through enterprise and consumer-focused chatbots.

Amidst the discourse, one chatbot consistently emerged as the most frequently mentioned and popular: Claude, developed by Anthropic. Anthropic received numerous mentions in panels throughout the week and was a prevalent topic among vendors exhibiting in the convention hall. Conversely, ChatGPT, from OpenAI, was notably less discussed. Several vendors expressed a sentiment that ChatGPT and OpenAI had experienced a decline in performance and relevance, a perspective that appears to be gaining traction.

This perception of OpenAI losing its footing persists despite the company's recent substantial $122 billion funding round and its upcoming initial public offering. Contributing to this view is a perceived lack of focus within the company. OpenAI recently abandoned several long-standing projects, including its AI video generator Sora and a controversial plan for a "sexy" version of ChatGPT, choosing instead to concentrate on business and coding services.

Furthermore, OpenAI has faced a series of controversies and negative public relations. A recent New Yorker article questioned the trustworthiness of its CEO, Sam Altman, generating significant negative buzz. The company's engagement with the Trump administration and its decision to integrate advertising into ChatGPT have also drawn criticism. During one HumanX discussion, Bret Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Sierra and chairman of OpenAI's board, defended Altman against inquiries about the New Yorker profile. Taylor described Altman as one of the most visible leaders globally, acknowledging that detractors would be vocal, but affirmed his own trust in Altman's character and leadership in AI.

These controversies and strategic shifts have led some to view OpenAI as reactive rather than strategically proactive, seemingly responding to events rather than dictating them. However, in terms of prominence and revenue, OpenAI and Anthropic are currently neck and neck, with some data indicating that Anthropic is rapidly catching up, particularly among business users. A Wall Street Journal analysis highlighted both companies as "the fastest-growing businesses in the history of tech." In this context, OpenAI's "falling off" might simply signify that it is no longer the undisputed market leader, now facing robust competition, which is a normal dynamic in most industries.

Despite these challenges, OpenAI remains committed to maintaining its dominant position. This week, the company announced a new $100 subscription tier for ChatGPT, offering substantially more access to Codex, its advanced coding tool. This move is clearly intended to boost the broader adoption of Codex and attract users away from Anthropic's Claude Code.

Srinivas Narayanan, OpenAI's CTO of B2B applications, commented on the rapid pace of technological change during a HumanX discussion with Bloomberg's Rachel Metz. He noted, "We are in this incredible moment in technology, where every month, and sometimes every day, we are all looking forward to something new." Narayanan cited agentic coding as a prime example, observing that while assistive coding has been used for the past year, the entire field has transformed dramatically in just a few months. Agentic accomplishments are a major focus for the tech community, especially since other AI applications, such as creative uses, have not yet fully materialized. The speed and extent to which companies are offloading tasks to these automated assistants are quite surprising, underscoring the unpredictable yet wide-open future of this technological landscape.