The Claude chatbot developed by US-based Anthropic has climbed to second place among free apps in the US Apple App Store, following the company’s public dispute with the US Department of Defense, commonly known as the Pentagon, according to TechCrunch.
The increased visibility appears to be linked to the heightened attention surrounding Anthropic’s negotiations with US authorities. As first reported by CNBC, Claude currently ranks second, behind ChatGPT by OpenAI in first place and ahead of Google Gemini in third.
According to data from SensorTower, Claude was just outside the top 100 at the end of January and spent most of February hovering around the top 20. In recent days, its ranking accelerated significantly: from sixth place on Wednesday to fourth on Thursday, reaching second place on Saturday.
Read also: Apple selects Google’s Gemini to power AI-based Siri launching this year
Federal tensions and official reactions
The controversy began after Anthropic sought to negotiate safeguards preventing the Department of Defense from using its AI models for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. In response, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s products, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the company as a threat to the supply chain.
Subsequently, OpenAI announced its own agreement with the Pentagon. CEO Sam Altman stated that the deal includes safeguards related to domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons.
Photo: Bloomberg
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