Donald Trump Declares War on Anthropic

President Trump has ordered an immediate halt to all federal agencies' use of Anthropic's AI technology, following a standoff over the company's refusal to allow unrestricted use of its Claude models by the Pentagon. Anthropic, which previously held a $200 million Pentagon contract and was the only advanced generative AI firm cleared for secret data, refused demands to allow its AI for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weaponry, though the Pentagon claims these uses were never contracted. Following a heated meeting, the Department of Defense (DOD), which the Trump administration calls the Department of War, threatened to invoke the Defense Production Act or designate Anthropic a "supply-chain risk." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth followed through on the latter, a move described as an aggressive regulatory action. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated they "cannot in good conscience accede" to the demands. This situation highlights a growing tension between Silicon Valley's ethical boundaries and the military's push for technological superiority, particularly against adversaries like China. While the White House has criticized Anthropic as "woke," the DOD simultaneously deems Claude essential for national security, creating a paradox. Many in Silicon Valley, including leaders at OpenAI and Google, have expressed support for Anthropic's stance against surveillance and autonomous weapons, though major tech partners' future relationship with Anthropic remains uncertain.

(Source：The Atlantic)