Anthropic has declined to agree to the Pentagon’s request for ‘any lawful use’ of its AI.
Donald Trump accused Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude, of attempting to “STRONG-ARM” the Pentagon and directed federal agencies to “IMMEDIATELY CEASE” using its products. The issue arose when Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused an updated agreement with the US military, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted upon in a January memo. This decision has frustrated many tech workers.
The agreement would have allowed the US military to use the company’s services for mass domestic surveillance and lethal autonomous weapons. OpenAI and xAI have reportedly agreed to the new terms, though OpenAI is seeking to negotiate similar conditions as Anthropic.
For weeks, Anthropic and the Pentagon have been in a deadlock over the acceptable use of Anthropic’s AI. Negotiations stalled after a dramatic exchange of public statements.
In a statement, Amodei wrote that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He noted that Anthropic has not objected to specific military operations but believes AI can undermine democratic values in certain cases.
Amodei mentioned, “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will ensure a smooth transition to another provider. Our models will be available on the proposed terms for as long as needed.”
Trump responded:
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS! That decision belongs to YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF and the leaders I appoint to run our Military.
The Left-wing individuals at Anthropic made a mistake trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, making them follow their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their actions endanger AMERICAN LIVES, our Troops, and our National Security.
Therefore, I am directing all Federal Agencies to IMMEDIATELY CEASE using Anthropic’s technology. We do not need it and will not do business with them again! There will be a Six Month phase-out for agencies using Anthropic’s products. Anthropic should cooperate during this period, or I will enforce compliance, with major civil and criminal penalties.
WE will decide our Country’s fate — NOT an out-of-control, Radical Left AI company. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!