AI Ethics Clash: Trump Orders Federal Agencies to Cease Anthropic Use Amid Pentagon Feud
In an unprecedented move that has sent ripples through the tech world and Washington alike, President Donald Trump has commanded all U.S. government agencies to discontinue their use of Anthropic’s AI services, including its flagship Claude model. This directive marks a significant escalation in an already tense standoff between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the artificial intelligence firm over crucial AI safeguards.
The President’s Fiery Decree
Taking to Truth Social on Friday afternoon, President Trump announced a six-month transition period for federal agencies, including the Pentagon, to migrate away from Anthropic’s offerings. His statement was laced with characteristic strong language, accusing Anthropic of a “DISASTROUS MISTAKE” and labeling them “Leftwing nut jobs” for attempting to “STRONG-ARM the Department of War” into adhering to their Terms of Service over the U.S. Constitution.
“Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow,” the president warned, underscoring the gravity of the administration’s position.
Pentagon’s Pressure and “Supply Chain Risk” Designation
The presidential order follows weeks of intense pressure from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had previously threatened to brand Anthropic a “supply chain risk.” The core of the dispute lies in Anthropic’s insistence on safeguards preventing its AI from being deployed for mass surveillance against American citizens or integrated into fully autonomous weapons systems. Hegseth’s demand for these ethical guardrails to be withdrawn was met with resistance from the AI company.
Following President Trump’s announcement, Secretary Hegseth confirmed via a post on X that he was “directing the Department of War to designate Anthropic a Supply-Chain Risk to National Security.” This designation, effective immediately, prohibits any contractor, supplier, or partner doing business with the U.S. military from engaging in commercial activity with Anthropic.
Anthropic Holds the Line on Ethics
While Anthropic did not immediately comment on the latest developments, a company spokesperson had earlier indicated that negotiations with the DoD had made “virtually no progress” on preventing the outlined misuses. The spokesperson revealed that “new language framed as a compromise was paired with legalese that would allow those safeguards to be disregarded at will,” highlighting the company’s frustration.
“Despite DOW’s recent public statements, these narrow safeguards have been the crux of our negotiations for months,” the spokesperson stated, reaffirming Anthropic’s commitment to ethical AI development and expressing readiness to “continue talks and committed to operational continuity for the Department and America’s warfighters.”
Industry Rallies, Advocacy Groups Warn of Dangerous Precedent
The administration’s aggressive stance has drawn swift condemnation from advocacy groups and sparked solidarity within the broader AI industry. The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) voiced strong opposition, with President and CEO Alexandra Givens stating, “This action sets a dangerous precedent. It chills private companies’ ability to engage frankly with the government about appropriate uses of their technology.”
Givens further warned that these threats “undermine the integrity of the innovation ecosystem, distort market incentives and normalize an expansive view of executive power that should worry Americans all across the political spectrum.”
In a powerful display of industry unity, hundreds of employees from Google and OpenAI signed an open letter urging their respective companies to stand in “solidarity” with Anthropic. Notably, an internal memo seen by Axios revealed that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman affirmed the ChatGPT maker would draw the “same red line” as Anthropic, signaling a potential broader industry front against government demands to compromise on AI ethics.
This unfolding saga underscores the growing tension between national security imperatives and the ethical development of advanced AI, setting a critical precedent for the future of government-tech partnerships.
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