In the second quarter of 2026, U.S. Gen Z adults' Consideration scores for Claude and OpenAI nearly doubled, with Claude climbing from 14.2% to 28.1%, the highest score of any brand in YouGov’s newest ranking, and OpenAI jumping from 10.1% to 22.1%. ChatGPT, tracked separately, grew more than 50%, from 16.3% to 25.4%. The findings come from “Brands Rising Among Gen Z in the U.S. in 2026,” a YouGov analysis tracking more than 2,000 brands daily through YouGov BrandIndex, ranking the 10 fastest quarter-over-quarter improvers in Consideration. Reuben Staines, YouGov America’s head of marketing, flagged surprises, noting Johnnie Walker topped the list with Consideration rising from 7.5% to 20.0% behind a refreshed “Keep Walking” campaign. OpenAI and Claude landed in the top 10 alongside Johnnie Walker, REI, and Dove Baby. Google Assistant’s Consideration score climbed from 8.1% to 15.8% during a quarter when Google steered people toward Gemini, following Google I/O’s Gemini announcements in May and the launch of its first new smart speaker in six years, suggesting residual name recognition rather than deliberate strategy. REI’s inclusion proves the ranking isn’t secretly an AI story.