Anthropic is experiencing a surge in popularity, particularly with its Claude AI, as evidenced by a study of anonymized credit card transactions involving around 28 million U.S. consumers. The analysis shows that Claude’s paid subscriptions have more than doubled this year, while estimates for total consumer users range from 18 million to 30 million, though Anthropic hasn’t confirmed these numbers. The attention has been bolstered by clever Super Bowl ads that mocked OpenAI's ChatGPT and highlighted Claude's ad-free experience, along with a contentious public dispute with the Department of Defense over the use of its AI in military operations. The increase in subscribers is notable, with a significant jump reported between January and February. Many new subscribers are opting for the lowest tier, the “Pro” plan at $20 per month, rather than higher tiers priced at $100 or $200. New features like Claude Code and Claude Cowork, released in January, have also contributed to this growth. The Computer Use feature, which allows Claude to perform tasks on a computer independently, has further driven subscriptions, although these tools are not available to free-tier users. Despite this growth, Claude still lags behind ChatGPT. OpenAI continues to gain new paid subscribers quickly, even after facing backlash from users following its own deal with the DoD. Anthropic's refusal to allow its AI for lethal operations has positioned it differently in the market, but it remains to be seen how this will impact its long-term standing against ChatGPT in the consumer space.