Claude dethrones ChatGPT as top U.S. app after Pentagon saga
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Anthropic's Claude hit No. 1 in U.S. app downloads Saturday, overtaking ChatGPT, after the Pentagon blacklisted the company for refusing to loosen safeguards for military use of its AI model.
Why it matters: The long-term business impact for Anthropic remains unclear. But in the short term, the clash has fueled interest in Claude, as some social media users call for dumping ChatGPT over OpenAI's deal with the Pentagon.
Catch up quick: Anthropic lost its Pentagon contract Friday over a dispute about military use of Claude, shortly after President Trump blasted it as a "Radical Left AI company."
- Anthropic drew red lines against using its AI for mass surveillance and autonomous lethal weapons.
- Hours later, OpenAI — maker of ChatGPT — announced its own Pentagon deal after the Defense Department agreed to safety red lines similar to Anthropic's.
- Anthropic vowed to "challenge any supply chain risk designation in court," and said no "intimidation or punishment from the Department of War" would force it to cave.
Zoom in: The Instagram account "quitGPT" gained about 10,000 followers following the news, according to its operator.
- A Reddit post about OpenAI winning the Pentagon contract racked up 30,000 upvotes under a post saying "Cancel and Delete ChatGPT!!!"
- A viral video appeared to show chalk art outside Anthropic's offices in San Francisco reading "you give us courage."
- People on social media have pointed to OpenAI president Greg Brockman's previous $25 million donation to a pro-Trump super PAC as part of their rationale for moving away from ChatGPT
By the numbers: Data from OpenRouter measuring model usage over the last month shows twelve different models now outpace OpenAI.
- Claude's Sonnet 4.5 ranked fifth for February, according to the data, and the top model was from China-based MiniMax.
Reality check: ChatGPT is still right behind Claude on the app store charts and has a first-mover advantage on AI.
What's next: While the winners and losers of the AI race are constantly shifting, Claude has been on fire, particularly with enterprises after several product launches made for swift business adoption.
- Now, a blowup with its own government is spreading that popularity into the broader zeitgeist.
