ChatGPT Uninstalls Surge Following New DoD Partnership

OpenAI’s mobile application experienced a significant backlash from users over the weekend of February 28, following the announcement of a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense—recently rebranded under the Trump administration as the Department of War.

Data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reveals that ChatGPT uninstalls spiked by 295% on Saturday, February 28, compared to the previous day. This figure marks a sharp deviation from the app’s average daily uninstall rate of 9% observed throughout the preceding 30 days.

The Shift Toward Claude

As ChatGPT faced user attrition, competitor Anthropic saw a surge in interest. Downloads for its AI assistant, Claude, grew 37% on February 27 and climbed an additional 51% on February 28. This momentum followed Anthropic’s public statement confirming it had declined a deal with the defense department.

Anthropic cited specific ethical concerns, noting that it could not reach an agreement due to the potential use of its technology for the surveillance of American citizens and the development of fully autonomous weaponry—capabilities the company stated are not yet safe for deployment.

Market impact data reflects this shift in consumer sentiment:

• App Store Rankings: Claude reached the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store on Saturday and maintained that position as of Monday, March 2, climbing more than 20 ranks in just over a week.
• Download Volume: Appfigures reported that Claude’s daily U.S. downloads surpassed those of ChatGPT for the first time on Saturday, with an estimated 88% increase day-over-day.
• Global Reach: Beyond the U.S., Claude has secured the top position among free iPhone apps in countries including Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, and Switzerland.

OpenAI’s Declining Metrics

The impact on OpenAI extended beyond uninstalls. U.S. downloads for ChatGPT dropped 13% on Saturday following the public announcement, with a further 5% decline on Sunday. This stands in contrast to the 14% growth the app recorded on Friday, prior to the news.

User feedback also soured significantly. Sensor Tower reported that 1-star reviews for ChatGPT surged 775% on Saturday, with an additional 100% increase on Sunday. Conversely, 5-star ratings for the application fell by 50% during the same timeframe.

While Similarweb confirmed that Claude’s U.S. downloads over the past week reached approximately 20 times the volume seen in January, the firm cautioned that factors beyond the recent political controversy may be contributing to the rapid growth of the platform.