Anthropic’s Claude has surged past ChatGPT to claim the #1 spot as the most-downloaded free app in the United States, according to Apple’s App Store charts, while Google’s Gemini lags in fourth.

The ranking shift comes amid public backlash over OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s recent announcement on X that OpenAI would collaborate with the Department of Defense (unofficially called the Department of War) to deploy AI on classified government networks. Many users viewed the move as controversial, especially given growing concerns about AI ethics and autonomy.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had previously taken a public stance against unrestricted governmental AI use, citing the risks of mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. The principled stance appears to have resonated with the public, driving significant growth in Claude’s adoption.

An Anthropic spokesperson told Mashable that free user signups increased by more than 60% since January, daily registrations have tripled since November, and paid subscriptions have more than doubled in 2026. Before Super Bowl LX, Claude ranked #42 in the U.S. app charts; it now consistently sits in the top 10.

The move has also triggered political pushback. President Donald Trump criticized Anthropic on Truth Social, calling the company’s stance a “disastrous mistake” and framing it as an attempt to constrain the Department of War. Subsequently, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pursued classifying Anthropic as a “supply-chain risk to national security,” a designation that could bar the company from future government contracts.

In solidarity with Anthropic, over 700 employees from both Google and OpenAI have signed an open letter titled We Will Not Be Divided, pledging to resist government requests for AI deployment in domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons without human oversight. The letter underscores growing ethical concerns within the AI industry itself.

The dramatic rise of Claude highlights the influence of public perception in shaping the AI landscape. With users increasingly attentive to ethical considerations, the battle for the direction of AI is not only being fought in boardrooms and government offices but also in the hearts and hands of everyday consumers.

This latest surge signals that, even as governments and corporations vie for control over artificial intelligence, the ethical preferences of the public remain a powerful force in the technology’s trajectory.