By Jack Queen
NEW YORK, March 17: The Trump administration defended the Pentagon’s decision to blacklist AI company Anthropic in a court filing, calling the move lawful. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic, developer of AI assistant Claude, as a national security risk after the company refused to remove safeguards against misuse in autonomous weapons or surveillance.
The administration argued that Anthropic’s refusal to loosen restrictions was not protected speech but conduct, justifying the ban. The company is challenging the decision in California federal court, claiming the government overstepped its authority.
President Donald Trump supported the move, which excludes Anthropic from select military contracts and could cost the company billions. Anthropic disputes the claims, stating AI is not yet safe for use in warfare and opposes domestic surveillance.
The company also challenges a separate designation under a different law in a Washington, D.C. appeals court.