A federal appeals court has denied Anthropic's emergency motion to halt the Trump administration's blacklist of the AI firm. The ruling by a panel of Republican-appointed judges, including Trump appointees Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao, is a setback for Anthropic.
Anthropic claims it was blacklisted in retaliation for refusing to allow its AI models for autonomous warfare and mass surveillance. The company has had more success in a separate lawsuit filed in California, where a judge granted a preliminary injunction against the blacklist, ruling it violated the First Amendment. The Trump administration is appealing that decision.
The DC Circuit court acknowledged that Anthropic would likely suffer financial harm and potential speech chilling without a stay. However, the court found the balance of equities favored the government, citing national security interests and the "deteriorated" relationship between Anthropic and the Department of Defense (now Department of War). The court granted Anthropic's request to expedite the case, with oral arguments set for May 19.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the ruling "a resounding victory for military readiness," stating the military needs full access to Anthropic's models. Anthropic expressed confidence that courts will ultimately find the designations unlawful and remains focused on working with the government.