President Donald Trump mentioned Friday that he was ordering each U.S. authorities company to “instantly stop” utilizing know-how from the substitute intelligence firm Anthropic.
Trump in a Reality Social put up mentioned there can be a six-month phase-out for businesses such because the Protection Division, which “are utilizing Anthropic’s merchandise, at numerous ranges.”
Protection Secretary Peter Hegseth, quickly after Trump’s order, mentioned on X that he was ordering the Pentagon to “designate Anthropic a Provide-Chain Threat to Nationwide Safety” after the AI startup refused to adjust to calls for about the usage of its know-how.
Anthropic, which signed a $200 million contract with the Pentagon in July, wished assurances that its AI fashions wouldn’t be used for totally autonomous weapons or mass home surveillance of People.
The Pentagon, which strongly resisted that request, set a deadline of 5:01 p.m. ET Friday for Anthropic to comply with its calls for that the U.S. navy be allowed to make use of the know-how for all lawful functions.
That deadline handed with out an settlement.
“Anthropic’s stance is essentially incompatible with American rules,” Hegseth mentioned in a press release on X.
“Their relationship with america Armed Forces and the Federal Authorities has subsequently been completely altered.”
“Anthropic will proceed to supply the Division of Conflict its companies for a interval of not more than six months to permit for a seamless transition to a greater and extra patriotic service,” the Protection secretary mentioned.
“America’s warfighters won’t ever be held hostage by the ideological whims of Large Tech. This resolution is ultimate.”
Trump, in his Reality Social put up, wrote, “The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE making an attempt to STRONG-ARM the Division of Conflict, and drive them to obey their Phrases of Service as an alternative of our Structure.”
“Their selfishness is placing AMERICAN LIVES in danger, our Troops in peril, and our Nationwide Safety in JEOPARDY.”
“Due to this fact, I’m directing EVERY Federal Company in america Authorities to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s know-how,” Trump wrote.
“We do not want it, we do not need it, and won’t do enterprise with them once more!”
Sen. Mark Warner, the Virginia Democrat who’s vice chair of the Senate Choose Committee on Intelligence, condemned Trump’s motion.
“The president’s directive to halt the usage of a number one American AI firm throughout the federal authorities, mixed with inflammatory rhetoric attacking that firm, raises severe considerations about whether or not nationwide safety selections are being pushed by cautious evaluation or political concerns,” Warner mentioned in a press release.
“President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s efforts to intimidate and disparage a number one American firm — doubtlessly because the pretext to steer contracts to a most popular vendor whose mannequin plenty of federal businesses have already recognized as a reliability, security, and safety menace — pose an infinite threat to U.S. protection readiness and the willingness of the U.S. non-public sector and academia to work with the IC [Intelligence Community] and DoD, in step with their very own values and authorized ethics,” Warner mentioned.
Elon Musk, the mega-billionaire who had been Trump’s greatest monetary backer within the 2024 election, owns xAI, which goals to compete straight with Anthropic and one other main AI firm, OpenAI.
Musk in latest weeks has repeatedly bashed Anthropic on his social community X, writing on Friday that the corporate “hates Western civilization.”
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei mentioned Thursday that his firm “can’t in good conscience” enable the Pentagon to make use of its fashions with out limitation.
In a press release on Thursday, Amodei mentioned, “It’s the [Defense] Division’s prerogative to pick out contractors most aligned with their imaginative and prescient. However given the substantial worth that Anthropic’s know-how offers to our armed forces, we hope they rethink.”
“Our robust choice is to proceed to serve the Division and our warfighters — with our two requested safeguards in place,” Amodei mentioned.
“Ought to the Division select to offboard Anthropic, we’ll work to allow a easy transition to a different supplier, avoiding any disruption to ongoing navy planning, operations, or different important missions. Our fashions shall be accessible on the expansive phrases we now have proposed for so long as required.”
CEO and Co-Founding father of Anthropic Dario Amodei speaks through the 56th annual World Financial Discussion board (WEF) assembly in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 20, 2026.
Denis Balibouse | Reuters
On Friday, one other main AI firm, OpenAI, mentioned it has the identical “purple traces” as Anthropic concerning the usage of its know-how by the Pentagon and different prospects.
“We’ve got lengthy believed that AI shouldn’t be used for mass surveillance or autonomous deadly weapons, and that people ought to stay within the loop for high-stakes automated selections,” Open AI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a memo seen by CNBC.
OpenAI final 12 months signed its personal $200 million contract with the Pentagon.
OpenAI’s contract is for AI fashions in non-classified use circumstances, which embody on a regular basis workplace duties.
Anthropic’s contract with the Protection Division included labeled work.
The Protection Division had no touch upon Friday apart from pointing to Trump’s announcement.
Hegseth, in a put up on X, included a screengrab of Trump’s put up, and cc:ed Anthropic and Amodei with the message, “Thanks in your consideration to this matter.”
— CNBC’s Lora Kolodny contributed to this text