The Digester

ChatGPT cancellations rise after OpenAI signs deal with US military

Mar 1st 2026

After Anthropic declined a Department of Defense deal over safety concerns, OpenAI signed its own agreement with the US military, prompting users to quit ChatGPT and move to rival chatbots.

  • OpenAI signed an agreement with the US Department of Defense and says it includes guardrails and red lines on surveillance and autonomous weapons.
  • Anthropic walked away from a DoD deal because it would not accept full access and wanted assurances against mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons.
  • A growing number of ChatGPT users are canceling subscriptions and switching to alternatives such as Anthropic's Claude.
  • Social media users are posting guides on how to delete ChatGPT accounts and extract data in response to the deal.
  • The US government announced plans to stop using Claude in its departments after Anthropic declined the DoD terms.