Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Labels Anthropic as a Supply Chain Risk

Military suppliers and contractors are prohibited from collaborating with Anthropic as its dispute with the Pentagon over AI usage persists. Following President Donald Trump’s declaration on Truth Social to ban Anthropic products from federal use, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled the AI firm as a “supply-chain risk.” The decision affects tech companies like Palantir and AWS that work with Claude for Pentagon projects. The Pentagon’s ultimatum required Anthropic to permit the usage of Claude for all legal purposes, including autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, or face the risk designation. This move prohibits any company using Anthropic products from Pentagon collaboration. Hegseth extended the ban to all commercial activities with Anthropic, reiterating the divestment timeline. He emphasized the necessity for unrestricted use of Anthropic’s models and criticized the company’s stance and leadership as incompatible with American military and governmental principles. This decision signifies a permanent shift in Anthropic’s relationship with the U.S. government, underpinning the demand for a six-month transition to alternatives. The Pentagon insists on maintaining control over military decisions without interference from tech executives.