On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that all federal agencies must "immediately cease" the use of AI tools developed by Anthropic, following prolonged disagreements regarding the military applications of artificial intelligence. This directive highlights ongoing tensions between the administration and the AI firm.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump criticized Anthropic, saying, "The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War." The President further announced that there would be a "six-month phase-out period" for agencies currently utilizing Anthropic's AI technologies, potentially offering a window for continued discussions between the government and the company.
Neither the Pentagon nor Anthropic provided immediate comments on this development. The dispute rooted in the push by the Department of Defense to amend a previous agreement made with Anthropic and other AI firms in July, aiming to remove existing restrictions on AI deployment and to allow "all lawful use" of the technology. Anthropic expressed discomfort with the proposed changes, citing concerns that it could lead to AI-operated lethal autonomous weapons or mass surveillance on U.S. citizens.
Despite the Pentagon’s current lack of plans to implement AI in these controversial ways, the Trump administration voiced concerns over a private technology company's influence over crucial military technology usage.
Anthropic made history as the first leading AI research lab to collaborate with the U.S. military through a $200 million contract with the Pentagon last year. The agreement resulted in the creation of special custom AI models, known as Claude Gov, which operate with fewer restrictions than those facing the general public. While Google, OpenAI, and xAI also entered into similar contracts around the same time, Anthropic remains the only AI company involved with classified systems.