The Claude chatbot from Anthropic has surpassed ChatGPT in the US App Store following user backlash against OpenAI's military collaboration.
Anthropic's Claude chatbot has ascended to the top of the free apps category in the US App Store, relegating OpenAI's ChatGPT to second place.
This change is largely the result of a widespread departure of users from ChatGPT, prompted by OpenAI’s recent partnership with the US Department of Defense. CEO Sam Altman disclosed that OpenAI will provide its AI models for classified military operations, a move that has drawn criticism.
Tonight, we reached an agreement with the Department of War to deploy our models in their classified network....
— Sam Altman (@sama) February 28, 2026
In contrast, Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, has distanced his company from such military contracts, stating they would not allow their AI to be used for surveillance or autonomous weaponry.
This decision ignited backlash, including criticism from former President Donald Trump, who accused Anthropic of overstepping its boundaries with the Defense Department. Following this, the Pentagon canceled contracts with Anthropic, labeling it a "national security threat," while OpenAI gained a military contract.
The fallout has been substantial, with calls for a boycott of ChatGPT gaining traction. A Reddit post advocating for this action garnered 30,000 likes, and an Instagram account dedicated to the cause, quitGPT, attracted 78,000 followers. Furthermore, over 700 employees from Google and OpenAI signed a letter opposing the use of AI in military and surveillance roles without human oversight.
Outside Anthropic's office in SF… intense moment!
— Roy E. Bahat (@roybahat) February 27, 2026
Recent reports indicate that Anthropic has seen a 60% increase in free users since January and a doubling of paid subscriptions, alongside a tripling of new daily registrations. Meanwhile, developments have surfaced regarding SpaceX's involvement in a Pentagon initiative to create voice-controlled autonomous drones.
