Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei announced the artificial intelligence firm will challenge the Pentagon's formal designation of the company as a risk to US national security. Amodei stated the ruling's practical impact is limited, primarily affecting direct contracts with the Department of War, not all client usage.
The designation requires defense vendors to certify they do not use Anthropic's models in their Pentagon work. Amodei argued the statute aims to protect the government, not punish suppliers, mandating the least restrictive means. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) indicated that Anthropic products can remain available to most customers, excluding direct US military use.
The dispute arose after Anthropic opposed the use of its technology for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. The Pentagon countered that suppliers cannot dictate product usage terms. Amodei also addressed a leaked internal memo suggesting the actions were politically motivated, citing a lack of political donations to Trump compared to OpenAI.
Despite the conflict, Anthropic reported a surge in demand for its Claude AI model, with app downloads exceeding one million daily and paying users doubling this year.