ChatGPT has been hemorrhaging users ever since the company announced a deal with the U.S. military. In a blog post titled ‘Our agreement with the Department of War’, GPT creators OpenAI discuss the terms of the deal, which came not long after President Trump announced the U.S. “will not do business” again with Claude AI creators Athropic, following the refusal to adjust its terms of use.

Techcrunch, referencing data from market intelligence provider Sensor Tower, reports that uninstalls of ChatGPT’s mobile app jumped 295% in a single day (February 28) after OpenAI announced its military collab. OpenAI has since made amendments to the official blog post to clarify some restrictions, most notably forbidding the use of its AI for intentional domestic surveillance.

Claude AI is now the most popular free app on Apple’s App Store

The contrast between Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s actions looks to have resonated with the public. Claude AI is now the #1 top free app on the App Store in the U.S., and it’s quickly climbing the ranks on the Google Play Store in the region, too. Yesterday we spotted it in tenth place, but it has already waltzed up to fourth at the time of writing this.

Sam Altman has been doing some damage control online, reiterating the safeguards or ‘guardrails’ the company has put in place to ensure its AI is not used unlawfully. He continues to hold the opinion that this collaboration is a must-have, saying, “I think we are heading towards a world where the relationship between governments and AI efforts is critical.” He goes on to add, “This will be difficult, but it has to happen; I do not see any good future where we don’t get there”.

In terms of how the deal was done, Altman admits it “looked opportunistic and sloppy” – “we shouldn’t have rushed to get this out on Friday,” says the OpenAI CEO. He says the company will host an ‘All Hands’ tomorrow to answer more questions.

Regardless, the backlash against the ChatGPT creators is clear to see just with a quick browse through the comments. Altman confirmed in a reply during an impromptu AMA that OpenAI has “some different” terms to Anthropic, without going into specifics. He does note, however, that other firms would be available to strike a deal on the same terms if they wish to do so.

In contrast to ChatGPT’s fleeting user base, Claude downloads in the U.S. jumped by 37% on Friday, February 27, and a further 51% on the following day. Users are also making their opinion known through App Store and Google Play Store ratings. According to the Sensor Tower’s research, one-star reviews for ChatGPT on the App Store surged by 775% on the final day of the month, with continued growth in the days following. Five-star reviews have reportedly declined by 50%, too.

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Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.