ChatGPT’s mobile app saw a sharp rise in uninstalls in the US after OpenAI announced its partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD), which has been renamed as the Department of War under the Trump administration. According to data from Sensor Tower, US app uninstalls jumped 295 per cent day-over-day on Saturday, February 28. This suggests that many users reacted strongly to the partnership news.

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Also, ChatGPT’s US downloads fell. Downloads dropped 13 per cent on Saturday and continued to slide on Sunday. Before the partnership was announced, the app’s downloads had increased by 14% compared to the previous day on Friday, reports TechCrunch.

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While ChatGPT faced backlash, Anthropic’s Claude saw an increase in downloads after it announced that it would not partner with the US defense department. The company said it could not agree to the terms because of concerns that AI might be used to surveil Americans or power fully autonomous weapons.

Also read: Trump Anthropic ban effect: Pentagon turns to OpenAI to deploy AI, here’s what happened

Claude’s US downloads reportedly increased 37 per cent on Friday and 51 per cent on Saturday. The app also climbed to the No. 1 spot on the US App Store on Saturday.

Other data firms shared similar findings. Appfigures said Claude’s US downloads increased 88 per cent on Saturday. Claude also become the top free iPhone app in six other countries, including Canada, Germany, and Switzerland.

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Meanwhile, Similarweb said Claude’s US downloads over the past week were about 20 times higher than in January. However, it noted that other factors beyond politics could also be driving the growth.

Also read: Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Pro leaks: When will they launch and how much they may cost

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Ayushi Jain

Ayushi works as Chief Copy Editor at Digit, covering everything from breaking tech news to in-depth smartphone reviews. Prior to Digit, she was part of the editorial team at IANS. View Full Profile