The Trump administration issued a directive on Friday instructing all U.S. agencies to discontinue the use of Anthropic’s artificial intelligence technology. This action, which also included imposing significant penalties, marked a rare public clash between the government and the company concerning AI safety.
President Donald Trump, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials, criticized Anthropic on social media for refusing to grant the military unrestricted access to its AI technology by a specified deadline. They accused the company of jeopardizing national security by CEO Dario Amodei’s refusal to compromise on potential misuse of the company’s products.
In response, Trump stated adamantly on social media, “We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again!” Hegseth went further, labeling the company as a “supply chain risk,” a label typically reserved for foreign adversaries.
Anthropic countered by stating that designating them as a supply chain risk would be an unprecedented move, historically reserved for U.S. adversaries and never previously applied to an American company. The company emphasized that such a designation would be legally unsound and could set a dangerous precedent for other American firms engaging with the government.
The company had sought assurances from the Pentagon that its AI technology would not be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. Despite the Pentagon’s assurance of only using the technology lawfully, the government insisted on unrestricted access without limitations, leading to the standoff.
The government’s attempt to exert control over the company’s decision-making process comes amid broader debates on AI’s role in national security and concerns about its potential misuse in critical scenarios involving lethal force, sensitive data, and surveillance.
Amid escalating tensions, Trump announced that most agencies must immediately cease using Anthropic’s AI technology, with the Pentagon given a six-month transition period to phase out the technology integrated into military systems. The president emphasized that the U.S. military would not allow a company to dictate its operational strategies.
The dispute drew criticism from various quarters, including Virginia Senator Mark Warner, who expressed concerns about whether national security decisions were driven by careful analysis or political motives. The move is expected to have repercussions in the AI industry, potentially benefiting competitors like Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot, which is set to gain access to classified military networks.
The standoff between the government and Anthropic has captured attention in Silicon Valley, where industry stakeholders have voiced support for the company’s stance. The escalation of tensions underscores the complex dynamics between technology firms and government agencies in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.