Trump administration illegally retaliated against Anthropic, judge rules
The AI startup has been at loggerheads with the Pentagon over the use of AI by the US military.
A US district judge has declared the US Department of Defense's designation of AI startup Anthropic as a supply chain risk to be illegal and without merit. Anthropic contested the move after refusing to permit the military to utilize its AI for surveillance or autonomous weapons. US District Judge Rita Lin ruled that invoking national security is not a license to punish or retaliate against government critics.
Anthropic expressed satisfaction with the ruling, emphasizing its commitment to productive government collaboration in AI for national security benefits. The lawsuit labeled the Pentagon's actions as "unprecedented and unlawful." The designation classified Anthropic as a supply-chain risk under a law aimed at safeguarding military systems from foreign sabotage.
It was the first time an American company received such a public designation. Anthropic's models were deemed unreliable for military weapons systems and opposed for domestic surveillance, which Anthropic argued violated First Amendment rights. The Pentagon claimed private companies should not hinder military operations, while the White House labeled Anthropic a "radical left, woke company" attempting to control military activity.
The judge noted the government's attempt to stifle public debate on military AI use, branding it as classic First Amendment retaliation.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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