Hundreds of tech workers have signed an open letter urging the Department of Defense to reverse its classification of Anthropic as a “supply chain risk.” The letter also asks Congress to investigate “whether using these extraordinary powers against an American tech company is justified.”
Signatories from prominent tech and venture capital firms, including OpenAI, Slack, IBM, Cursor, and Salesforce Ventures, have signed the letter. It comes after a conflict between the DOD and Anthropic following the AI lab’s recent refusal to grant the military unrestricted access to its AI systems.
Anthropic established two red lines in negotiations with the Pentagon: it did not want its technology used for mass surveillance on Americans or to enable autonomous weapons that operate without human intervention. The DOD stated it had no intention to do either, but believed it should not be restricted by vendor rules.
After Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei resisted Hegseth’s threats, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to phase out Anthropic’s technology after six months. Hegseth threatened to label Anthropic a supply chain risk — a designation usually reserved for foreign adversaries, preventing the AI firm from working with the Pentagon and related entities.
In a statement on Friday, Hegseth declared: “Effective immediately, no contractor, supplier, or partner that works with the U.S. military may engage in any commercial activity with Anthropic.”
However, a post on X does not immediately render Anthropic a supply chain risk. The government must complete a risk assessment and inform Congress before military partners must sever ties with Anthropic or its products. Anthropic stated in a blog post that the designation is “legally unsound” and it will “challenge any supply chain risk designation in court.”
Many in the industry perceive the administration’s actions toward Anthropic as unjust and retaliatory.
“When two parties cannot agree on terms, the usual course is to part ways and work with a competitor,” the open letter argues. “This situation sets a dangerous precedent. Punishing an American company for declining contract changes sends a message to every tech company in America: accept the government’s terms or face consequences.”
Beyond concerns about Anthropic’s treatment, many in the industry worry about potential government overreach and misuse of AI.
Boaz Barak, an OpenAI researcher, posted on social media that blocking governments from using AI for mass surveillance is his “personal red line” and “should be everyone’s.”
Shortly after Trump’s criticism of Anthropic, OpenAI announced it had struck a deal to deploy its models in DOD’s classified environments. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated the firm shares the same red lines as Anthropic.
“If any good comes from recent events, it would be for the AI industry to address the risks of AI being used for government abuse and surveillance,” Barak commented. “We have effectively handled risks from bioweapons and cybersecurity; let’s apply similar strategies