Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government to prevent the Pentagon from adding the company to a national security blocklist. The Department of Defense sent a letter to Anthropic confirming the company was labeled a supply chain risk. The lawsuit claims the designation is unlawful and violates free speech and due process rights.
The legal action follows a dispute between the AI company and the government regarding the use of its models for surveillance and autonomous weapons. The Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pressured Anthropic to remove safeguards from its AI systems. This development highlights the escalating conflict between AI safety principles and national security demands.
On February 27, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused to allow its model to be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. Hegseth threatened a supply chain risk designation and the cancellation of a $200 million contract. President Trump ordered all federal agencies to cease using Anthropic on the same day.
Anthropic agreed to collaborate with the Department on an orderly transition to another AI provider following the deadline. The lawsuit characterizes the government’s actions as an “unprecedented and unlawful […] campaign of retaliation.” Anthropic stated, “The Constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech.”
Anthropic rival OpenAI quickly made a deal with the Department of Defense. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force. OpenAI wrote into its contract that its AI system shall not be intentionally used for domestic surveillance of U.S. persons and nationals.
OpenAI head of robotics hardware Caitlin Kalinowski resigned this weekend in response to the Defense Department deal. Kalinowski wrote on X that surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation. An Anthropic spokesperson stated the company will continue to pursue every path toward resolution, including dialogue with the government.
