A federal district court judge questioned the Department of Defense’s motivations for designating Anthropic, the developer of Claude AI, as a supply-chain risk during a hearing on Tuesday, according to WIRED. The judge characterized the Pentagon’s action as an “attempt to cripple” the AI company.
The hearing focused on the DOD’s classification of Anthropic under supply-chain risk designations, though the specific details of the Pentagon’s concerns were not disclosed in the WIRED report. Such designations typically restrict or prohibit government agencies and contractors from using products or services from companies deemed potential security threats.
The judge’s pointed questioning of the Defense Department’s rationale suggests skepticism about whether the classification was justified or potentially motivated by other factors. The case highlights growing tensions around AI governance and government oversight of major AI developers as the technology becomes increasingly central to national security considerations.