OpenAI’s Pentagon tie-up triggers spike in ChatGPT deletions and one-star ratings, boosts Claude downloads

ChatGPT

• ChatGPT uninstalls in the US spiked 295 percent after DoD deal
• Claude app downloads surged, surpassing ChatGPT in the US
• User backlash led to a surge in one-star ChatGPT reviews

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US users appear to be reacting strongly to OpenAI’s newly announced partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD), with fresh data showing a sharp spike in uninstalls of the ChatGPT mobile app.

According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, US app uninstalls of ChatGPT jumped 295 percent day-over-day on Saturday, February 28. That marks a dramatic increase compared to the app’s typical 9 percent day-over-day uninstall rate averaged over the past 30 days.

The spike followed news of OpenAI’s deal with the DoD, which has been rebranded under the Trump administration as the Department of War. Shortly after the announcement became public, download growth for ChatGPT also slowed. U.S. downloads dropped 13 percent day-over-day on Saturday and declined another 5 percent on Sunday. Just a day earlier, before the partnership was disclosed, downloads had grown 14 percent day-over-day.

At the same time, competitor Anthropic appears to have benefited from the backlash. Sensor Tower data shows US downloads of Claude rose 37 percent day-over-day on Friday and climbed 51 percent by Saturday. The increase followed Anthropic’s announcement that it would not move forward with a similar defense partnership, citing concerns about AI being used for surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapon systems.

The shift in sentiment was also reflected in user reviews. One-star ratings for ChatGPT surged 775 percent on Saturday and doubled again on Sunday, according to Sensor Tower. Meanwhile, five-star reviews dropped 50 percent over the same period.

Other analytics firms reported similar trends. Appfigures said that Claude’s total daily U.S. downloads on Saturday surpassed ChatGPT’s for the first time. Its estimates placed Claude’s U.S. download growth at 88 percent day-over-day on Saturday — higher than Sensor Tower’s figures.

Claude’s rise was also visible in app rankings. The app reached the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store on Saturday and remained there as of Monday, March 2 — a climb of more than 20 positions compared to February 22.

Beyond the US, Claude is currently ranked as the No. 1 free iPhone app in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and Switzerland, according to Appfigures.

Meanwhile, Similarweb reported that Claude’s US downloads over the past week were roughly 20 times higher than in January, though it cautioned that not all of that growth can be directly attributed to political controversy.

Taken together, the data suggests that at least a segment of US consumers responded quickly to the defense partnership news — some by deleting ChatGPT, and others by exploring alternative AI apps.