This month’s alternative data insights include the vendors tracking AI chatbot adoption, M&A activity and how consumers are seeking more intentional purchases.

AI chatbot competition heats up

Last month, several vendors reported that the AI chatbot space has diversified, with competition for user attention intensifying.

Comscore found that users were turning to a more diverse range of AI assistants as adoption climbed. In its Q2 2026 AI Intelligence Report, Comscore reported that while ChatGPT was still in the lead, its share of total AI prompt value fell from 70% to 50% in the first half of 2026, while users looked to other tools such as Claude and Gemini.