Anthropic’s Claude artificial intelligence assistant climbed to the No. 1 position on Apple’s U.S. free app chart late Saturday, just one day after the Trump administration sought to restrict federal agencies from using the company’s models.
The surge followed a public clash over Anthropic’s refusal to allow its AI systems to be used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons applications.
President Donald Trump criticized the company in a Truth Social post, accusing it of attempting to impose its terms of service on the Department of Defense. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he had asked that Anthropic be designated a supply-chain risk to national security, which would prevent U.S. defense contractors from using its tools.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei responded in a statement, saying the Department has the prerogative to select contractors aligned with its vision, but expressed hope that officials would reconsider given what he described as the substantial value of Anthropic’s technology to the armed forces.
Claude’s Rapid Climb
Historically, other AI chat apps have dominated consumer rankings. OpenAI’s ChatGPT ranked No. 2 on the U.S. App Store chart Saturday, while Google’s Gemini held the No. 4 spot.
Claude’s rise has been swift. On January 30, the iOS app ranked No. 131 in the U.S. It spent much of February fluctuating within the top 20 before breaking into the No. 1 slot, according to Sensor Tower data. ChatGPT had held the top position for most of February prior to Claude’s ascent.
Anthropic said its free user base has grown more than 60% since January, with daily sign-ups tripling since November and setting all-time records throughout the week. Paying subscriptions have more than doubled this year, the company said.
Intensifying AI Rivalry
Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, Anthropic has gained traction over the past year as a supplier of AI models for coding and enterprise use.
OpenAI, whose ChatGPT now exceeds 900 million weekly users, has responded by expanding partnerships with consulting firms including Accenture and Capgemini. On Friday night, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company had reached an agreement with the U.S. Defense Department on deploying its models.
Meanwhile, public attention around Anthropic continued to grow. Pop singer Katy Perry shared a screenshot of her Claude Pro subscription on social media hours after the defense-related announcements, further amplifying the moment.
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