ChatGPT's Italian Dominance Fades as Gemini Wins Mobile, Claude Grows

For years, ChatGPT has been the undisputed champion of the AI chatbot world, its name almost synonymous with generative AI itself. Yet, a new report from Italy suggests that while OpenAI's pioneering platform still holds the overall crown, its dominance is increasingly under siege. Is this the first major crack in a once-impenetrable fortress, or merely the natural evolution of a burgeoning, competitive market?

The latest data from the Osservatorio sull’intelligenza artificiale by Vincenzo Cosenza, drawing on Audicom figures for July 2026, paints a compelling picture of a rapidly maturing and diversifying AI landscape in Italy. ChatGPT, launched on November 30, 2022, has seen its monthly user base more than triple from 3.1 million in July 2024 to 9.625 million two years later. However, its growth has visibly slowed, adding only 617,000 new users in the last year compared to 5.9 million in the preceding twelve months.

Meanwhile, Google's Gemini has surged, expanding its audience by nearly eleven times to 9.374 million users in the same period, adding 5.6 million new users in the last year alone—a stark contrast to ChatGPT's deceleration. And Anthropic's Claude is experiencing remarkable 677% annual growth, reaching 1.802 million users. This dynamic suggests that the Italian AI market, once dominated by a single player, is swiftly entering a phase of intense competition and specialization.

The Mobile Front: Where Google's Ecosystem Wins

The most significant shift in the Italian market is undoubtedly on mobile devices. Gemini has demonstrably surpassed ChatGPT in mobile users since June 2026, hitting 7.578 million users on smartphones and tablets by July, compared to ChatGPT's 7.125 million. This isn't merely about raw numbers; it underscores the formidable advantage of a deeply integrated ecosystem. As Cosenza observes, the inherent strength of the Google ecosystem, with its pervasive services and tools already utilized by millions, naturally facilitates Gemini's spread among mobile users.

This integration means that for many, Gemini is a more seamless extension of their daily digital lives. Imagine asking an AI to summarize weekly emails, draft a document, or analyze a spreadsheet without ever leaving the Google Workspace apps. This native integration, highlighted by Yellowtech, is a powerful draw that ChatGPT, despite its vast plugin ecosystem, cannot directly match within the Google-first user base.

The Engagement Metric: Quality Over Quantity?

Beyond raw user counts, engagement metrics offer a deeper insight into user loyalty and product stickiness. In July 2026, each ChatGPT user spent an average of one hour and 50 minutes per month on the service. While still substantial, this represents a 6% decrease from the previous year, mirroring its slowing audience growth. In contrast, both Gemini and Claude saw their average usage time per person triple over the past year, reaching one hour and 20 minutes and one hour and 15 minutes, respectively.

This tripling of engagement suggests that while ChatGPT may still command the largest overall audience, its rivals are successfully fostering deeper, more frequent interactions with their users. Demographics also play a role: while both ChatGPT and Gemini find their highest penetration among 25-34 year olds, Claude's strongest appeal is with the 18-24 age group, where it achieves its highest penetration. Interestingly, among these younger users, Gemini records a higher average monthly usage (two hours and three minutes) than ChatGPT (one hour and 38 minutes), indicating its strong resonance with a crucial demographic for future growth.

Beyond the Giants: Specialization and Privacy as Differentiators

The Italian market is not just a two-horse race. Microsoft's Copilot reaches 2.367 million users, Meta AI stands at 1.614 million, and Perplexity has surpassed one million. Grok, xAI's chatbot, also shows significant growth, reaching 528,000 users. These numbers illustrate a diversifying landscape where different models cater to distinct needs. For instance, Yellowtech points out that Claude excels in analyzing long documents like contracts and technical documentation due to its extended context window, making it a favorite in legal or financial sectors.

Privacy is also emerging as a critical differentiator. A Surfshark research report from April 2026 found that all major chatbots collect personal data. While Meta AI was the most exposed (33 out of 35 categories), Google Gemini collected 23, and ChatGPT 17 (an increase from 10 the previous year). Claude, on the other hand, was less invasive, collecting 13 categories. For users and enterprises increasingly concerned about data handling, a chatbot's privacy posture could become a decisive factor, influencing adoption in sensitive contexts.

Ultimately, the Italian AI market is a microcosm of a global shift. ChatGPT's initial explosion of growth is giving way to a more nuanced, competitive environment. While it retains its overall lead and desktop dominance, Gemini's mobile triumph and increased engagement, coupled with Claude's specialized strengths and impressive growth, suggest that a single, undisputed champion may soon be a thing of the past. The future of AI in Italy, and likely beyond, will be defined by diversity, specialization, and intense competition across multiple fronts.