Microsoft has filed a legal brief supporting AI startup Anthropic in its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense. The action seeks to temporarily block the Pentagon's designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk.
In a federal court filing, Microsoft urged a pause on the Pentagon's order, arguing it is necessary while the court reviews the case. Microsoft, a significant user of Anthropic's AI products for its U.S. military technology offerings, stated it is directly affected by the designation.
The AI firm had previously sued to prevent its placement on a national security blacklist, escalating a conflict over usage restrictions for its technology. Microsoft contends that blocking the designation is crucial to prevent costly disruptions for suppliers who would need to quickly reconfigure their services relying on Anthropic's products.
Microsoft highlighted that while the Pentagon has six months to phase out Anthropic, contractors using its services lack a similar transition period. Failure to grant a temporary restraining order, Microsoft warned, would force government contractors to significantly alter their business plans and risk disruptions to U.S. government missions.
The company also noted that a temporary restraining order would provide time for negotiations, ensuring continued military access to advanced AI while safeguarding against its misuse for domestic surveillance or autonomous warfare.