• Claude tops US downloads following Pentagon standoff
• Public interest and downloads surge amid backlash against OpenAI

Claude, the AI chatbot from Anthropic, has recently topped the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the United States, surpassing ChatGPT in the race for downloads.

Social media has seen an unprecedented wave of protests against OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, following its contract with the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon), raising concerns about the use of AI for military purposes.

Data shows that public interest in Anthropic spiked significantly after CEO Dario Amodei challenged the Pentagon over the terms of collaboration.

According to app analytics firm Appfigures, Claude’s iPhone downloads in the US rose by 1.1 million in February compared to the previous month, a 240% increase.

Claude now ranks as the number one free iPhone app in five markets: the US, Canada, Germany, Ireland, and Luxembourg. Until last month, it wasn’t even among the top 40 apps in the US App Store.

Mike Krieger, Anthropic’s spokesperson, said over a million people sign up to use Claude daily, welcoming users via X.

Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that his company’s Pentagon deal was “rushed” and issued an internal memo clarifying that the agreement had been reopened to ensure stronger protections. He admitted the timing of the announcement created poor optics, especially since Anthropic had effectively been blacklisted by the US government.

Amodei stated that talks with the Pentagon collapsed due to the department’s insistence on full access to AI models, while Anthropic sought safeguards to prevent misuse in autonomous weapons or mass surveillance.

Anthropic plans to take legal action against any official classification that could hinder its dealings with the US government or defense contractors.

Despite the negative headlines, ChatGPT remains the global leader among AI chatbots, with over 900 million weekly active users, compared to 550 million for Google’s Gemini app.

Appfigures estimates that ChatGPT has been downloaded around 8.7 million times in the US since the start of 2026, versus 2.1 million for Claude.

Analysts say Claude’s future success will depend on Anthropic’s ability to navigate legal and political challenges, especially amid growing interest in AI and rapid changes in the app ecosystem.