President Trump has directed all federal agencies to immediately stop using AI tools from Anthropic. This executive action follows weeks of conflict between the AI startup and the Department of Defense concerning the military's use of artificial intelligence.
The Defense Department had pressed Anthropic to remove restrictions on how its AI could be employed by the military, seeking "all lawful use." Anthropic objected, expressing concerns that such a change could permit the AI's use in controlling lethal autonomous weapons or conducting mass surveillance. While the Pentagon stated it does not currently use AI for these purposes and has no plans to do so, Trump administration officials opposed a tech company dictating military applications.
Anthropic, which had a $200 million deal with the Pentagon last year, developed custom models like Claude Gov for defense operations. These models have fewer restrictions than their standard versions. Other AI firms like Google and OpenAI also signed similar deals, but Anthropic is reportedly the only one working with classified military systems.
Recent public exchanges between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei highlighted the dispute, with Hegseth demanding a commitment to changing contract terms by Friday. Experts suggest the conflict may stem from theoretical disagreements rather than immediate practical concerns, as Anthropic has supported the Pentagon's current AI use cases.