Trump Orders Federal Agencies to Phase Out Anthropic AI Technology Amid Pentagon Dispute
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday ordered all federal agencies to phase out the use of Anthropic technology following a public dispute with the Pentagon over artificial intelligence safety. The move comes shortly before the Pentagon’s deadline for Anthropic to allow unrestricted military use of its AI technology or face consequences.
Trump stated that most agencies must immediately cease using Anthropic technology, but granted the Pentagon a six-month period to phase out the technology already integrated into military platforms. “We don’t demand it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again!” Trump wrote on social media.
Anthropic has not yet responded to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks.
Clash Over AI’s Role in National Security
The core of the dispute centers on the role of AI in national security and concerns about the potential use of increasingly capable machines in high-stakes situations involving lethal force, sensitive information, or government surveillance. The New York Times reports that the Pentagon’s contract dispute with Anthropic is part of a wider clash about the use of artificial intelligence for national security.
Anthropic, the maker of the chatbot Claude, had sought assurances from the Pentagon that its technology would not be used for “mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons.” After months of private talks, Anthropic stated that new contract language “framed as compromise was paired with legalese that would allow those safeguards to be disregarded at will.”
Potential Beneficiaries and Industry Fallout
This decision is likely to benefit Elon Musk’s competing chatbot, Grok, which the Pentagon plans to grant access to classified military networks. It could also serve as a warning to other competitors, Google and OpenAI, who also have contracts to supply their AI tools to the military.
If Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s CEO, does not concede, military officials threatened to designate Anthropic as a supply chain risk, potentially derailing critical partnerships with other businesses. Trump indicated Anthropic could face “major civil and criminal consequences” if it doesn’t cooperate with the phase-out.
Industry Support for Anthropic
Despite the Pentagon’s pressure, Anthropic has garnered support from within the tech industry. An open letter signed by tech workers from OpenAI and Google voiced support for Amodei’s stance. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also sided with Anthropic, questioning the Pentagon’s “threatening” move and suggesting that OpenAI and most of the AI field share similar red lines.
Retired Air Force Gen. Jack Shanahan, a former leader of the Defense Department’s AI initiatives, wrote on social media that “Painting a bullseye on Anthropic garners spicy headlines, but everyone loses in the complete.”
Department of War Designation
The Department of War is a secondary name for the Defense Department under an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump in September, according to the BBC.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated that his company would rather not function with the Pentagon than agree to uses of its tech that may “undermine, rather than defend, democratic values.”