OpenAI's Partnership with U.S. Department of Defense Sparks 300% Surge in ChatGPT Uninstallations on Announcement Day
On February 28th, the number of ChatGPT app uninstalls by U.S. users surged by 295% compared to the previous day, following the announcement of OpenAI's partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense (referred to as the "Department of War" during the Trump administration). Data from Sensor Tower indicates this was a significant deviation from ChatGPT’s average 30-day uninstall rate of 9%.
In contrast, downloads of Claude, the AI app from OpenAI competitor Anthropic, increased by 51% on the same day. This shift in user behavior is attributed to Anthropic’s public refusal to collaborate with the Defense Department due to ethical concerns, including potential use of AI for citizen monitoring and autonomous weapons.
ChatGPT’s download numbers fell by 13% on Saturday and a further 5% on Sunday. User sentiment was reflected in app reviews, with 1-star ratings for ChatGPT increasing by 775% on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Claude rose to the top of the U.S. App Store’s free apps chart and also led charts in several other countries. Data from Appfigures and Similarweb corroborated these trends, noting Claude’s rapid growth in the U.S. and internationally.
marsbit03/04 03:15
