Milions of Users Have Ditched ChatGPT and Exporting Data to Claude AI

A quiet but significant shift is taking place in the AI world as more than 1.5 million users migrate from ChatGPT to Claude AI, as called by Forbes. The movement has gained momentum following escalating debate over government partnerships, data privacy, and ethical boundaries in artificial intelligence.

The turning point came when Anthropic declined to provide its models for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. Shortly after, the Biden administration ordered all federal agencies to halt the use of Anthropic products, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed new plans to classify the company as a potential supply-chain threat.

Within hours, OpenAI revealed its own agreement with the Pentagon—one it described as safeguarded against misuse—yet the announcement triggered widespread unease among privacy-minded users. Consequently, Claude surged past ChatGPT to become the top free app on Apple’s U.S. App Store, with Anthropic reporting record daily sign-ups, a 60 per cent jump in free users and a doubling of paid subscribers since January.

Although both companies continue to insist on responsible AI development, many users see the latest events as a signal to reassess which platform best aligns with their values.

Why Users Are Exporting Their Data

Because many long-time ChatGPT users do not want to lose years of personal prompts, preferences and conversation history, exporting data has become a central part of the migration. Transferring this information allows Claude to understand user habits from day one, making the switch far less disruptive.

However, users often say they do not realise exporting is possible—or that it can be completed in minutes.

How to Export Chats and Data from ChatGPT

Here’s how you do it if you want to take that step: 

• Open Settings → Personalisation → Memory
  Select “Manage”, review stored details, update anything outdated, and copy the information you want to keep.
  
• Go to Settings → Data Controls → Export Data
  Choose “Export Data”. Your full history will be emailed as text or JSON files. Large archives may take time to compile.
  
• Manually copy key conversations
  You may also ask ChatGPT to summarise your recurring preferences, writing style, and custom instructions before you move.
  

Once your information is ready, open Claude, enable Memory under Settings → Capabilities, then start a new chat and paste your summaries with a prompt such as: “Here’s context I’d like you to remember. Update your memory with this.” Claude can also review exported files and summarise essentials instead of storing raw logs.

The broader story is less about rivalry and more about users taking control of their digital footprint. Although the two AI platforms continue to shape global conversations about safety and innovation, this migration suggests that transparency and trust now matter as much as capability.