President Donald Trump has issued a directive ordering all U.S. federal agencies to immediately halt their use of artificial intelligence technology developed by Anthropic. This order follows a contentious and public dispute between the AI firm and the Pentagon regarding safeguards over military applications of AI.
The conflict centers on Anthropic’s refusal to remove ethical guidelines for its AI models, specifically concerning their use in mass surveillance of American citizens and fully autonomous weapons systems. According to reports, the Pentagon had demanded Anthropic allow unrestricted military use of its technology for “all lawful purposes.” Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated the company “cannot in good conscience accede” to these demands, emphasizing that these specific uses go against the company’s established usage policy.
This directive by President Trump came shortly after a Pentagon deadline for Anthropic to comply with its demands lapsed on Friday afternoon. The Department of Defense had threatened to terminate its $200 million contract with Anthropic and, subsequently, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared Anthropic a “supply-chain risk to national security.” This designation is typically reserved for foreign adversaries and has the potential to jeopardize Anthropic’s existing partnerships with other businesses.
President Trump’s announcement, delivered via Truth Social, included strong condemnation of Anthropic. He stated, “We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again!” He also warned that Anthropic could face “major civil and criminal consequences” if it does not cooperate during the transition period. While most agencies are required to cease using Anthropic technology immediately, the Pentagon has been granted a six-month period to phase out the technology already integrated into military platforms.
Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees, has historically differentiated itself by prioritizing AI safety and ethical development. The company had previously secured a $200 million contract with the Pentagon and supplied its Claude AI to civilian agencies.
The move has drawn varied reactions. Democratic Senator Mark Warner, Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, raised concerns about whether national security decisions were being driven by “careful analysis or political considerations.” In contrast, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed solidarity with Anthropic’s “red lines” concerning military AI use for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.