Pentagon Designates Anthropic a Supply Chain Risk
The United States government has officially classified artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic as a supply chain risk, marking the first instance of a US firm receiving this designation.
This move by the Pentagon intensifies the ongoing dispute regarding Anthropic's refusal to grant the government unrestricted access to its AI technologies, citing concerns over potential use in mass surveillance and autonomous weaponry.
A senior Pentagon official stated that the supply chain risk designation is "effective immediately."
Anthropic has previously announced intentions to pursue legal action against the Pentagon over this classification.
The AI developer engaged in discussions with the Department of Defense in recent days, even after these negotiations became public last week, according to sources familiar with the talks who spoke with the BBC.
A Pentagon official commented on the matter:
"From the very beginning, this has been about one fundamental principle: the military being able to use technology for all lawful purposes."
"The military will not allow a vendor to insert itself into the chain of command by restricting the lawful use of a critical capability and put our warfighters at risk."
Political Response and Federal Agency Actions
Last week, former US President Donald Trump announced he would instruct all federal agencies to immediately cease using technology from Anthropic.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump stated:
"We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again!"
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