ChatGPT uninstalls surged by 295% after DoD deal

In a striking reaction to OpenAI's recent partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD), the uninstalls of ChatGPT's mobile application in the U.S. skyrocketed by 295% on Saturday, February 28. This dramatic spike, reported by market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, stands in stark contrast to the app’s usual daily uninstall rate of just 9% observed over the previous month. Conversely, Anthropic's alternative chatbot, Claude, saw a remarkable increase in downloads, climbing 37% on Friday, February 27, and escalating to a 51% rise by Saturday. This surge followed Anthropic's decision to decline a partnership with the U.S. defense agency, citing concerns about the potential for AI technologies to be utilized for surveillance and fully autonomous weapon systems, which they argue are not yet safe for deployment. The consumer response appears to favor Anthropic’s stance, as indicated by the data. Following the announcement of OpenAI's DoD collaboration, ChatGPT experienced a 13% drop in downloads on Saturday, with further declines of 5% noted on Sunday. Prior to the partnership news, the app had enjoyed a 14% increase in downloads on Friday. These shifts in user engagement also affected the competitive landscape. Claude's App Store ranking surged to the No. 1 position in the U.S. by Saturday, marking a significant leap of over 20 ranks compared to the previous week. Meanwhile, user ratings reflected growing dissatisfaction with ChatGPT. One-star reviews for the app surged by 775% on Saturday alone, with a 100% increase on Sunday, while five-star ratings plummeted by 50% during the same timeframe. Further corroborating Sensor Tower's findings, Appfigures reported that Claude’s daily downloads on Saturday surpassed those of ChatGPT for the very first time. They noted an even steeper rise in Claude's installs, estimating an 88% increase day-over-day on Saturday. Claude has now claimed the title of the top free iPhone application in multiple countries, including Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, and the U.S. Additionally, Similarweb highlighted that Claude’s downloads over the past week were roughly 20 times higher than figures recorded in January, although they caution that factors beyond the political landscape may have influenced this surge.