ChatGPT uninstalls jump 295% after Pentagon deal; Claude tops US charts

ChatGPT uninstalls in the US jumped 295% after OpenAI's Pentagon deal; downloads fell sharply, one-star reviews surged and rival Claude climbed to the top of the App Store charts

OpenAI is facing a sharp backlash from users after news broke of its partnership with the US Department of Defence (DoD), which has been renamed the Department of War. Within hours of the announcement, downloads slowed and uninstalls of the ChatGPT app surged across the United States. 

A report by Moneycontrol, citing data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, showed that US users removed the ChatGPT app at an unusually high rate on Saturday (February 28). Uninstalls jumped 295 per cent compared to the previous day -- far above the app’s normal average of 9 per cent daily uninstall growth over the past month. 

The sharp spike came soon after reports of OpenAI’s defence agreement became public. Before the news broke, ChatGPT downloads in the US had risen 14 per cent day-over-day. But once the partnership was disclosed, growth reversed. Downloads fell 13 per cent on Saturday and slipped another 5 per cent on Sunday.

Rival Anthropic gains ground

While ChatGPT faced pushback, rival AI company Anthropic appeared to benefit. The news report said that US downloads of Anthropic’s Claude app jumped 37 per cent on Friday and rose another 51 per cent on Saturday. 

The growth followed Anthropic’s statement that it would not enter into a similar defence partnership. The company said it did not want its AI tools to be used for mass surveillance of Americans or for fully autonomous weapons systems. 

The news report stated that another analytics firm, Appfigures, reported even stronger gains. It said Claude’s US downloads surged 88 per cent day-over-day on Saturday. For the first time, Claude’s total daily US downloads exceeded those of ChatGPT. 

Claude also climbed to the No. 1 position on the US App Store on Saturday and remained there through Monday, rising more than 20 places compared to its ranking on February 22. 

Outside the US, Claude became the top free iPhone app in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and Switzerland, the news report said. 

Ratings reflect user anger

The reaction was also visible in app reviews. The news report said that one-star ratings for ChatGPT jumped 775 per cent on Saturday and then doubled again on Sunday. At the same time, five-star ratings fell by 50 per cent. 

The shift indicates that some users were not only uninstalling the app but also expressing dissatisfaction publicly.

Sam Altman calls Pentagon deal ‘sloppy’

Amid the criticism, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sam Altman acknowledged concerns about how the deal was handled. 

In a post on X, Altman said the agreement with the Pentagon may have appeared rushed and poorly timed. He described the process as looking “opportunistic and sloppy” after tensions between the Pentagon and Anthropic became public. 

He added that OpenAI is now working with the department to clarify the terms of the agreement. According to Altman, the company wants to make its principles clear -- including that its AI should not be used for domestic surveillance of Americans. He also said intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency would not be allowed to depend on OpenAI’s services under the revised terms.

Tensions with Anthropic

The defence deal was finalised late on Friday, allowing the Pentagon to use OpenAI’s AI models within its classified systems. The agreement came shortly after a disagreement between the Pentagon and Anthropic. 

Anthropic had insisted that its technology should not be used for large-scale surveillance of Americans or for fully autonomous weapons. In a statement, the company said that no amount of pressure from the Department of War would change its position.