U.S. uninstalls of the ChatGPT mobile app surged 295% on Feb. 28 following the announcement of a partnership between OpenAI and the Department of Defense (DoD), according to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
The spike represents a significant departure from ChatGPT’s average daily uninstall rate of 9% recorded over the previous 30 days. Simultaneously, U.S. downloads for the app fell 13% on Saturday and an additional 5% on Sunday. Negative sentiment was further reflected in the app’s ratings, where one-star reviews increased by 775% on Saturday while five-star reviews dropped by 50%.
Anthropic, OpenAI’s primary competitor, saw U.S. downloads for its Claude app rise 51% on Saturday after the company publicly declined to partner with the defense department. Anthropic cited concerns regarding domestic surveillance and the safety of fully autonomous weaponry as reasons for refusing the deal.
Market data indicates a shift in user preference toward Anthropic’s position. Claude reached the No. 1 ranking on the U.S. App Store on Saturday, climbing more than 20 spots in one week. Data provider Appfigures confirmed that Claude’s daily U.S. downloads surpassed those of ChatGPT for the first time on Saturday, noting the app is now the top free iPhone app in six countries outside the U.S., including Canada and Germany.
The Department of Defense, recently rebranded as the Department of War under the current administration, has sought AI partnerships to integrate large language models into military infrastructure. Similarweb cautioned that while political sentiment appears to be a primary driver for Claude’s growth, its U.S. downloads were already trending significantly higher than January levels due to other factors.
OpenAI is an American artificial intelligence research organization that transitioned from a non-profit to a “capped-profit” model to fund its computing requirements. Anthropic, a Public Benefit Corporation founded by former OpenAI executives, focuses on “AI safety” and is backed by significant investments from Amazon and Google.
