Anthropic sues Defense Department over supply chain risk designation

AI company Anthropic has filed a complaint against the Department of Defense (DOD) in San Francisco federal court after the agency designated the company as a supply chain risk. This action follows a dispute where Anthropic opposed the military having unrestricted access to its AI systems, specifically refusing use for mass surveillance of Americans or powering fully autonomous weapons without human control over targeting and firing. The DOD, represented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, argued the Pentagon should have access to AI systems for "any lawful purpose." Anthropic deemed the DOD's designation, which typically targets foreign adversaries and requires other agencies to certify they do not use Anthropic's models, as "unprecedented and unlawful," asserting the government cannot punish a company for its protected speech.

(Source：TechCrunch)