Trump Orders Government to Drop Anthropic, Gives Pentagon Six Months

President Trump banned Anthropic AI because the company refused to allow its AI models to be used for mass domestic surveillance or in autonomous weapons systems. This disagreement over ethical AI boundaries and government access led to the ban, which Trump announced on Truth Social.

The Pentagon was granted a six-month delay in implementing the ban due to its deep integration of Anthropic's AI in classified settings. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also threatened to label Anthropic as a "supply-chain risk," which could prevent defense contractors from using Anthropic's technology.

Anthropic has refused to provide unrestricted access to its Claude AI model, citing concerns about potential misuse for mass domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons systems. CEO Dario Amodei stated that the company cannot in good conscience accede to the government's request, despite potential repercussions.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to revoke Anthropic's $200 million contract with the U.S. military and designate the company as a "supply-chain risk." He also suggested invoking the Defense Production Act to compel Anthropic to provide an unrestricted version of its Claude AI model.

President Trump publicly denounced Anthropic as "woke" and "leftwing," claiming the company's stance endangers troops and jeopardizes national security. He stated that all federal agencies must immediately stop using Anthropic's technology, although a six-month phase-out period was allowed for agencies like the Department of Defense.