Trump orders US agencies to stop using Anthropic technology in clash over AI safety

The Trump administration ordered all U.S. agencies on Friday to stop using Anthropic’s artificial intelligence technology, dramatically escalating tensions between the government and the AI company over safety limitations Anthropic placed on military use of its systems.

The dispute centers on Anthropic’s refusal to allow the Pentagon unrestricted access to its AI chatbot Claude, with the company insisting on assurances that the technology would not be used for mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons systems.

“We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again!” President Donald Trump declared on social media, accusing the company of endangering national security by refusing to back down from its position.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took the extraordinary step of designating Anthropic a “supply chain risk”—a classification typically reserved for foreign adversaries that could severely impact the company’s business relationships. This unprecedented move against an American technology firm signals the administration’s determination to assert control over AI development priorities.

Anthropic responded defiantly Friday evening, announcing it would challenge what it called “legally unsound action” in court. “No amount of intimidation or punishment from the Department of War will change our position on mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons,” the company stated.

The conflict highlights growing tensions between Silicon Valley AI developers and government agencies over how increasingly powerful AI systems should be deployed in national security contexts. While the Pentagon claimed it only intended to use the technology lawfully, it refused to accept any limitations on its deployment.

Just hours after Anthropic’s penalty was announced, rival AI company OpenAI revealed it had reached its own agreement with the Pentagon to supply AI to classified military networks. In a notable development, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that their agreement includes the same restrictions that had become sticking points in the Anthropic dispute.

“Two of our most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force, including for autonomous weapon systems,” Altman wrote, adding that the Defense Department “agrees with these principles, reflects them in law and policy, and we put them into our agreement.”

Altman suggested the Pentagon offer similar terms to all AI companies to “de-escalate away from legal and governmental actions and toward reasonable agreements.”

Trump’s order requires most agencies to immediately cease using Anthropic’s AI, though the Pentagon has been given a six-month transition period to phase out technology already integrated into military systems. The president’s social media post contained a thinly veiled threat, stating the company “better get their act together, and be helpful” during this period or face “major civil and criminal consequences.”

Senior Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell claimed Anthropic’s stance was “jeopardizing critical military operations and potentially putting our warfighters at risk,” while Hegseth insisted the military “must have full, unrestricted access to Anthropic’s models for every LAWFUL purpose in defense of the Republic.”

Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed concern that national security decisions might be “driven by political considerations” rather than careful analysis, pointing to the unprecedented use of supply chain risk designation against an American company.

The dispute has reverberated throughout Silicon Valley, with venture capitalists, AI scientists, and even workers from Anthropic’s competitors expressing support for the company’s position. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, whose own AI chatbot Grok is poised to gain Pentagon access, aligned with the administration, claiming on X that “Anthropic hates Western Civilization.”

Retired Air Force General Jack Shanahan, who previously led Pentagon AI initiatives, criticized the government’s approach, noting that Claude was already widely used across government including in classified settings. He described Anthropic’s conditions as “reasonable” and warned that current large language models are “not ready for prime time in national security settings,” particularly for autonomous weapons applications.

Industry analysts suggest the dispute could significantly reshape the competitive landscape in AI development, potentially benefiting companies willing to provide unrestricted access to their technologies while marginalizing those insisting on ethical guardrails. The conflict also raises fundamental questions about the government’s role in directing AI development priorities and the autonomy of private technology companies to establish ethical boundaries on their products.