Users leave ChatGPT for Claude. This is how you make the switch | TechCrunch

Many users are switching to Claude after a series of controversies surrounding ChatGPT and its parent company OpenAI.

The tipping point came after Anthropic, the company behind Claude, refused to allow the Defense Department to use its AI models for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. In response, President Trump ordered all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s products, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced plans to label the company as a supply chain threat.

Hours later, OpenAI announced its own agreement with the Pentagon, claiming it included safeguards, but the deal has still sparked widespread debate over privacy and the ethical use of AI.

As a result, Claude has risen to the top of the rankings of free apps on Apple’s US App Store, overtaking ChatGPT. According to Anthropic, daily signups have reached record highs, free users are up more than 60% since January, and paid subscribers have more than doubled this year.

For many users, the recent controversy has made Claude an attractive alternative to ChatGPT. If you’re considering making the switch, this guide will walk you through transferring your data and closing your ChatGPT account.

How to export your data from ChatGPT

Terminating ChatGPT doesn’t have to mean losing years of digital memory. Instead of starting from scratch with a new AI assistant, you can transfer your data to Claude so he knows your preferences right away.

There are a few ways to do this. One place to start is Settings. From there, go to and find the Memory section. Select “Manage” and review your saved information, updating anything that no longer accurately reflects your preferences. Once everything is up to date, copy the content you want to keep.

Alternatively, you can export your entire chat history. Go to Settings, select Data Controls and choose ‘Export data’. ChatGPT compiles your chat data into text or JSON files and emails it to you. (Note that this may take some time if you have a lot of history.)

You can also go manual by copying important conversations from your history or asking ChatGPT to summarize your top preferences, frequently discussed topics, and any custom instructions you use.

Import your data into Claude

Once you’ve collected your data, you can easily transfer it to Claude.

Open Claude, go to Settings, then Capabilities and check Memory is enabled. (You must sign up for the Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan to enable this feature.) Then start a new conversation and use a prompt like: “Here’s some important context you’d like to remember. This will update your memory about me.” Then paste your details or summaries directly into the chat.

For exported chat files, do not paste raw log files. Instead, ask Claude something like, “Take a look at this and summarize my top preferences.”

We also recommend that you take a moment to verify with Claude that your information is stored correctly. You can always update your preferences if they change.

Permanently delete your ChatGPT account

To stop using ChatGPT completely, simply canceling your subscription is not enough to delete your data.

This is what you need to do:

• Go to Settings, then Personalization and select Memory.
• Delete any saved memory or personalization settings.
• For extra security, type “Delete all my memory and personal data” as your last chat command.
• Then navigate to your account management settings to delete your account completely.