ChatGPT, OpenAI’s flagship AI chatbot, has experienced a significant surge in uninstalls, with market intelligence firms reporting a nearly 300% day-over-day increase following the announcement of OpenAI’s partnership with the US Department of Defense (DoD).
According to data from Sensor Tower, US app uninstalls of ChatGPT’s mobile application jumped by 295% on February 28, a dramatic increase compared to its typical 9% day-over-day uninstall rate over the preceding 30 days. This backlash appears largely linked to user concerns regarding the ethical implications of OpenAI’s collaboration with military entities.
The partnership, which allows the US military to utilize OpenAI’s AI tools within its classified systems, has drawn sharp criticism from a segment of its user base. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the deal was “rushed” and has since attempted to clarify aspects, including adding a statement that ChatGPT-powered AI systems at the DoD “shall not be intentionally used for domestic surveillance of US persons and nationals.”
In contrast to OpenAI, rival AI firm Anthropic, creators of the Claude chatbot, reportedly declined a similar deal with the DoD due to concerns about AI being used for surveillance or autonomous weaponry. This stance appears to have benefited Claude, with Sensor Tower data indicating a rise in its US downloads by 37% on February 27 and a further 51% on February 28. Claude even briefly topped the Apple App Store charts for free apps in the US. Appfigures also reported that Claude’s total daily US downloads surpassed ChatGPT’s for the first time during this period.
Beyond the military partnership, some users have also expressed growing dissatisfaction with the quality of GPT-5 since its release, suggesting this could be another factor contributing to the uninstalls. Platforms like X and Reddit saw trends such as “#CancelChatGPT” as users voiced their discontent.
These recent events occur within a broader context of shifting market dynamics in the AI chatbot space. According to Similarweb data from January 2026, ChatGPT’s market share decreased to 68%, a significant drop from 87.2% a year prior. Google Gemini has emerged as a formidable competitor, capturing 18.2% market share, up from 5.4% in January 2025. Apptopia data for the US market further indicates a decline in ChatGPT’s mobile app daily active user share from 69% to just over 45%, with Gemini benefiting most, increasing its share to 25%. Despite these shifts, ChatGPT still reports a substantial user base, with 800 million weekly active users as of early 2026.