Why Are People Getting Rid Of ChatGPT

AI chatbots are seemingly everywhere in 2026 and many people may not even know they're speaking to one. You'll see AI making all manner of recommendations, from a streaming service's latest show to toilet paper on Amazon. Then there are services like ChatGPT, which has been in the middle of a user boycott after a controversial deal with the United States government. ChatGPT is making people dumber, so the more than 2.5 million people getting rid of ChatGPT may be making a wise decision. 

The massive shift revolves around the Pentagon and Department of Defense (DoD) seeking to integrate AI companies, such as OpenAI, into the United States military. Not surprisingly, the large percentage of people who left did so due to their distrust of the deal and how Large Language Models (LLM) operate. The deal between the U.S. government and ChatGPT, owned by OpenAI, led many users to abandon the service for another. They turned to Claude, owned by Anthropic, which resulted in it becoming the top downloaded app on the App Store in March 2026.

Multiple technology companies have made agreements with the Pentagon allowing its AI tools to be used within the United States' classified military networks. Among those are OpenAI, SpaceX, Google, NVIDIA, and Amazon. In a statement by the DoD, the deals would see AI used to "elevate situational understanding and augment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments."

This has led to people flocking to Claude after leaving the OpenAI company owned Sam Altman. Downloads for the Anthropic-owned Claude, in the United States, went up by 37% the day after OpenAI announced its DoD deal, and 51% the next day. It came about as Anthropic was concerned with its AI platform being used for surveillance of Americans and autonomous weapons.

OpenAI released a statement about its agreement with the U.S. government, saying its AI tools would not be used to surveil United States citizens through the use of "commercially acquired personal or identifiable information." The company goes on to say its services would not be used by intelligence agencies, including the NSA, and details safeguards and limitations around how the LLM will be used. That transparency stands in contrast to the uncomfortable truths about using ChatGPT.

Online discussion forums are full of former ChatGPT users saying they've left the service behind. Calls to uninstall the OpenAI chatbot include comments asking people to switch to Claude after getting rid of ChatGPT. Users discuss deleting the software and their accounts if they signed up for a paid subscription. There are some who say that while they did cancel ChatGPT, they may not be done with it forever. Others are cautious about using LLMs at all since the deal was struck. 

Still, other users note chatting with AI only around hobbies or specific tasks, such as coding. People use ChatGPT for several reasons, but it seems, at least for now, there are fewer using it, as instances of ChatGPT being uninstalled jumped more than 295% in March 2026. The deal with the United States government led to a public outcry and distrust of both parties involved. Along with OpenAI agreeing to the partnership with the Pentagon, Anthropic's decision to turn down the deal pushed users to flee ChatGPT and choose Claude instead.