Claude’s consumer growth surge continues after Pentagon deal debacle

Claude, the innovative AI model from Anthropic, is experiencing a significant surge in daily active users on mobile platforms, coinciding with the company's recent tensions with the Pentagon. Following CEO Dario Amodei's firm decision to reject government requests for using its AI for mass surveillance or to develop autonomous weaponry, Claude was labeled a supply-chain risk. Surprisingly, this stance has seemingly bolstered consumer preference for the model, according to recent data. As reported by Appfigures, downloads of Claude's mobile application in the U.S. have consistently outpaced those of ChatGPT. The latest statistics from March 2 reveal that Claude garnered 149,000 daily downloads, while ChatGPT lagged behind with 124,000. These download numbers hint at a growing interest, but a deeper look into active user engagement provides an even clearer picture. Market intelligence firm Similarweb indicates that Claude's mobile app reached an impressive 11.3 million daily active users on the same day, marking a staggering 183% increase since the beginning of the year when it had about 4 million active users. This remarkable growth trajectory puts Claude ahead of other AI competitors like Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot, although it still trails behind ChatGPT. The surge in usage for Claude aligns closely with the news surrounding Anthropic's negotiations with the Pentagon, suggesting that public sentiment may be shifting in its favor. If this trend continues throughout March, Claude's ranking among AI apps could improve even further. Despite Claude's impressive rise, ChatGPT maintains a substantial lead in market share, with 250.5 million daily active users reported on March 2. Similarweb also highlighted an upward trend in Claude's web traffic, which increased by 43% month-over-month in February and a remarkable 297.7% year-over-year. Interestingly, ChatGPT's web traffic saw a decline of 6.5% in the same timeframe, while Gemini experienced a modest 2.1% growth. Anthropic has been vocal about Claude's achievements, revealing that the AI chatbot is now attracting over 1 million new sign-ups daily, following its ascension to the No. 1 app on the U.S. App Store over the recent weekend—a position it continues to hold. Additionally, Claude ranks as the top app in 15 other countries, including Canada, Germany, and the U.K. The company noted that since early last week, Claude has consistently shattered its own sign-up records across all markets where it operates. Meanwhile, reports indicate that uninstalls of the ChatGPT app have been on the rise. Anthropic was approached for comment regarding these developments but had not responded at the time of publication.