American users are rapidly abandoning “ChatGPT,” with a 295% surge in uninstalls reported on February 28, the day OpenAI announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense. The dramatic shift in user behavior signals growing concerns about the intersection of artificial intelligence and government contracts.
According to data from TechCrunch, the average daily uninstallation rate from January to February was approximately 9%. This makes the late February spike particularly noteworthy. The trend is as well reflected in app store ratings, with a 775% increase in one-star reviews in recent days.
The decline in popularity extends to downloads, which have decreased by 13%. Simultaneously, interest in competing AI platforms is rising. Downloads of “Claude,” an application whose developers declined to grant the Pentagon full access to its artificial intelligence, increased by 37% on Friday and 51% on Saturday.
Anthropic, the company behind “Claude,” has ceased collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense, citing concerns about the potential leverage of its AI models for American surveillance. OpenAI, however, has agreed to provide its artificial intelligence to the Defense Department’s “secret network.”
Data from Appfigures indicates that “Claude” surpassed “ChatGPT” in popularity in the U.S. App store for the first time last weekend, reaching the number one spot in overall rankings. Just in January, Anthropic’s chatbot app wasn’t even among the top 100 most popular applications.
Currently, “ChatGPT” controls over 80% of the global chatbot market, with its closest competitors, “Perplexity” and “Google Gemini,” collectively holding 15% of the user base. This market share dominance is now facing a potential challenge as users re-evaluate their options in light of the OpenAI-Department of Defense agreement. The situation underscores the sensitivity surrounding data privacy and the ethical implications of AI deployment, potentially impacting future investment in the sector.
