Anthropic is once again at the center of a political dispute with the US government – and is simultaneously benefiting from a surge in downloads. The AI chatbot Claude currently holds the number one spot among free apps in the US App Store. In Germany, the app is in second place at the time of this article's publication. This rise is not due to new features, but rather directly related to an escalating conflict between Anthropic and the US Department of Defense.
AI chatbots currently dominate the US download charts. Claude from Anthropic is in first place, ChatGPT from OpenAI in second, and Gemini from Google in third.
For Claude, this is a significant leap. Just two months ago, the app was ranked 42nd in the US App Store. New product features were not cited as the reason for this. Instead, a political controversy is at the forefront, which has significantly increased the company's visibility.
Conflict between Anthropic and the US government
The trigger for this current development is a public dispute between Anthropic and the US government. On February 27, President Donald Trump published a lengthy post on Truth Social instructing all federal agencies to "immediately cease using Anthropic's technology." This followed heated disagreements between the Department of Defense and the AI company.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth further stated on X that Anthropic was being classified as a national security supply chain risk. He ordered that no contractor, supplier, or partner of the U.S. military could conduct commercial activities with Anthropic.
At the same time, a transition period of up to six months was granted. During this period, Anthropic may continue to provide its services to the War Department to ensure a "smooth transition to a better and more patriotic service."
The rationale of Anthropic
Anthropic opposed the intended military use of its AI models for two reasons:
- First, current AI models are not reliable enough for use in fully autonomous weapons systems. Such use would endanger American soldiers and civilians.
- Secondly, the company considers mass surveillance of the American population to be a violation of fundamental rights.
This position led to an escalation of the conflict.
Deployment despite orders
A report in the Wall Street Journal is explosive: Just hours after Trump's order, the US is said to have used AI tools from Anthropic in a major airstrike against Iran.
Furthermore, this was not the first time Claude had been used in military operations. According to previous reports in the Wall Street Journal, the AI was also used in the arrest of the now-deposed Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.
Although its use is officially supposed to end, federal authorities are still in the phase-out phase and are working to gradually replace Claude and other integrated services.
Possible alternatives for the Ministry of Defense
The US Department of Defense has now reached agreements with xAI and OpenAI to use their models within the network of federal agencies.
However, the Wall Street Journal reports that it would take months to completely replace Claude with other AI systems. Replacing complex, integrated AI infrastructure is considered technically challenging.
Download numbers are rising significantly
While the political situation remains unclear, Anthropic is gaining massive visibility in the App Store. Claude is currently ranked number 1 in the US App Store. In Germany, the app was ranked number 2 upon release.
The jump from 42nd to 1st place within two months clearly demonstrates the dynamic nature of the market. This rise is not attributed to new products, but rather to the widespread public debate surrounding the conflict with the government.
Anthropic in the tension between politics and market
The long-term consequences of the dispute between Anthropic and the US government are unclear. However, it is certain that the controversy has led to a significant increase in download numbers in the short term.
While authorities initiate a six-month transition period and explore alternatives, Claude dominates the US charts and is also gaining ground in other markets. Anthropic is thus under political pressure – and at the same time more in the spotlight than ever before. (Image: Shutterstock / miss.cabul)
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