Anthropic is close to overtaking OpenAI on this measure of AI business spending

• US businesses that integrate AI have tended to choose OpenAI.
• However, Anthropic has seen business spending surge in recent months, according to Ramp's index.
• Anthropic's reputation got an unexpected boost after it challenged a deal with the Pentagon.

Anthropic is close to passing OpenAI when it comes to business spending on AI, according to new data.

Ramp, a finance automation and corporate card issuer, said half of its customers now pay for AI products. Among those customers, 30.6% use Anthropic, up 6.3% from March.

The gap between Anthropic and OpenAI, which accounts for 35.2% of customers, has narrowed dramatically, according to Ramp.

"At the current pace, Anthropic is on track to surpass OpenAI within the next two months," a Ramp spokesperson told Business Insider. "It already leads among early adopters, including VC-backed companies, and in key sectors like software, finance, and professional services."

Anthropic currently leads OpenAI in three specific sectors: information, finance and insurance, and personal services. Ramp's data only provides a snapshot of spending by that company's customers. However, it's a useful yardstick for how business adoption of AI is changing over time.

Advancements in AI have begun to transform several industries. Major companies, including Meta, Microsoft and Visa, have encouraged employees to adopt the tech into their day-to-day work.

Anthropic's Claude Code has been a huge hit with software engineers and developers, which is likely one of the main drivers behind business spending on the startup's technology. The company also has top-performing models, according to benchmarking specialist Arena.ai. That likely influences which AI technology businesses choose.

Data from Ramp showed that funding is a key predictor of whether a business adopts AI. VC-backed businesses have a 80% adoption rate, while companies backed by private-equity firms have a 64% adoption rate. Companies without either have a 45% adoption rate.

Although Ramp didn't provide a specific reason for Anthropic's surge among corporations, the company received an unexpected reputation boost in February when it challenged a deal with the Pentagon. That month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged the company to agree with the military's terms of use for Claude or be blacklisted by the government.

Anthropic refused, resulting in President Donald Trump telling federal agencies to stop using the tech and the Department of Defense designating Anthropic as a supply chain risk. OpenAI stepped in to offer its services to the Department of Defense.

In response, some users rallied around Anthropic. Claude temporarily surpassed ChatGPT on the App Store, and major tech companies like Microsoft showed support.