Anthropic Sues Over the Pentagon’s Effort to ‘Punish’ It for AI Restrictions

The Pentagon designated Anthropic a “supply chain risk,” limiting its use by the federal government.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at an event.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed the Pentagon to designate Anthropic as a “supply chain risk.” Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense and other agencies on Monday arguing that the Trump administration’s directive for the federal government to stop using the company’s artificial intelligence was unlawful.

The administration ordered all federal agencies to stop using the company’s AI platform, Claude, over Anthropic’s refusal to allow the Pentagon unfettered use of its program. Anthropic’s policy includes restrictions on using the tools for lethal autonomous warfare and mass surveillance of Americans, according to the company’s court filings.

Defense Department Secretary Pete Hegseth deemed Anthropic as a “supply chain risk,” which the Pentagon formalized last week.