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Anthropic has filed lawsuits against the US Department of Defence (DoD) after the agency labelled the firm a national security ‘supply-chain risk.’ The company claims this allegation followed its refusal to grant the Pentagon access to its AI systems.
Anthropic, which develops the Claude AI chatbot, filed two complaints on Monday, one in a federal court in California and another in Washington. The lawsuits challenge the Defence Department’s decision and look to overturn the designation.
The conflict started after the Pentagon sought wider access to Anthropic’s AI technology. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly argued that the military should be able to use artificial intelligence for any lawful purpose and that private companies should not restrict such use.
Anthropic, however, set two clear limits on how its technology could be used. The company said it does not want its AI tools used for mass surveillance of Americans. It also said current AI systems are not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons without human oversight in targeting and firing decisions.
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Soon after the disagreement, the Pentagon signed an agreement with OpenAI and labelled Anthropic a supply-chain risk. The designation requires companies working with the Defence Department to confirm they do not use Anthropic’s AI models.
In its lawsuit filed in a San Francisco federal court, Anthropic called the move ‘unprecedented and unlawful.’ The company argued that the government cannot punish a company for expressing concerns about how its technology is used.
Anthropic also claims the designation was issued without following proper legal procedures.
The company has filed a separate petition in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Under federal procurement law, companies can challenge supply-chain risk labels in court. Anthropic has asked the court to review and cancel the Defence Department’s decision.
Anthropic’s legal challenge has received support from employees at other AI companies. More than 30 employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind have submitted a statement in support of the company in court.
According to reports, the filing argues that the government’s designation was arbitrary and could have wider consequences for the AI industry.
The employees also said the Pentagon could have simply ended its contract with Anthropic and worked with another provider instead of imposing the risk label.
They warned that such actions could harm the United States’ technological competitiveness and discourage open debate within the artificial intelligence industry about the risks and benefits of emerging AI systems.
