Anthropic’s AI chatbot Claude has surged to the top of the Apple App Store’s free iPhone app rankings in the United States, becoming the most downloaded app amid a very public dispute with the U.S. Pentagon and federal authorities. The jump in popularity reflects growing public interest following controversies over AI ethics and government use of artificial intelligence.
In late February, the Pentagon withdrew Anthropic from its AI partnership after the company refused to remove contractual restrictions that would allow its technology to be used for mass domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled Anthropic a “supply-chain risk,” a designation that was widely criticized online and drew notice from privacy and civil-liberties advocates.
Former president Donald Trump also publicly condemned the company’s stance, ordering federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology — a move that many users and observers saw as politically motivated. Amid the backlash, Claude’s download figures climbed rapidly, overtaking OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the most downloaded free iPhone app in the U.S. Claude’s daily sign-ups reportedly hit record levels, and paid subscriptions more than doubled in recent weeks.
Observers note that the rise in popularity is partly driven by a broader online movement of users critical of AI ties to military or government initiatives. In tandem with Claude’s climb, rival platforms like ChatGPT have seen spikes in app uninstalls as some users call for more ethical AI options.
Anthropic has also leaned into its moment in the spotlight by introducing enhancements such as improved conversation memory features and easier onboarding for users switching from other AI tools. Despite its newfound visibility, Claude still faces competition from entrenched rivals like ChatGPT, which maintains higher overall usage globally.
