Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had pushed for strict limits on how the military could use the company’s AI systems|UK Prime Minister|CC BY 2.0
Anthropic sued the Department of Defense and several agencies after the Pentagon labeled the company a “supply-chain risk” and banned its technology from defense use.
Tensions escalated in late February, when Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and refused to grant the Pentagon unrestricted access to its models.
Soon after, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s AI systems.
Anthropic says the government’s decision is “jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars,” and overstepping presidential authority. Anthropic says the Pentagon blacklist infringes its First Amendment rights and could deter other contractors from speaking out.
It asked the courts to stop the restrictions while the dispute is reviewed.
Amodei had pushed for strict limits on how the military could use the company’s AI systems. He wanted guarantees that the technology would not be used in deadly autonomous weapons or mass domestic surveillance, while the Pentagon sought approval for all lawful military uses.