President Donald Trump has ordered all U.S. federal agencies to stop using artificial intelligence technology developed by Anthropic after the company refused to grant the Pentagon unrestricted access to its AI systems.
In a lengthy statement posted on Truth Social on Friday, February 27, Trump accused Anthropic of attempting to interfere with U.S. military decision-making and warned that the government would no longer rely on the company’s technology.
“The United States of America will never allow a radical left, woke company to dictate how our great military fights and wins wars,” Trump wrote. “That decision belongs to your commander-in-chief, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our military.”
Trump said he had directed every federal agency to immediately cease using Anthropic technology, with a six-month phase-out period for departments currently relying on the company’s products, including the Department of War.
“We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again,” the statement adds.
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The president warned that Anthropic must cooperate with the transition or face possible legal consequences.
“Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase-out period, or I will use the full power of the presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow.”
Trump accused the company of trying to impose its own rules on the U.S. military instead of following government directives.
“We will decide the fate of our country — not some out-of-control, radical left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real world is all about,” he said.
This comes after Anthropic confirmed on February 26 that it had refused Pentagon demands to remove safety restrictions from its AI system, Claude, and allow unrestricted military use.
Chief executive Dario Amodei said the company could not accept the request despite pressure from the Department of War, which had threatened to cancel contracts and designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if it failed to comply.
“Regardless, these threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request,” Amodei said in a statement.
The Pentagon has insisted that AI contractors must permit “any lawful use” of their technology and remove safeguards limiting certain applications.
Anthropic said it supports U.S. national security efforts but believes some uses of artificial intelligence pose unacceptable risks.
Anthropic defends its role in United States security
In a detailed statement outlining its position, Amodei stressed that Anthropic has been a major contributor to U.S. defense capabilities and has actively supported national security initiatives.
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The company said it was the first frontier AI developer to deploy models in classified U.S. government networks, national laboratories, and intelligence agencies.
According to Anthropic, its Claude AI system is widely used across defense and intelligence operations for:
- Intelligence analysis
- Modeling and simulation
- Operational planning
- Cyber operations
- Mission support
Anthropic said it had also taken steps to protect U.S. technological advantages over geopolitical rivals.
The company stated that it had cut off access to firms linked to the Chinese Communist Party, shut down Chinese-sponsored cyberattacks targeting its systems, and supported export controls to preserve U.S. leadership in advanced computing technologies.
Anthropic said these decisions cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.
“I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries,” Amodei said.
Dispute over two key uses
Despite working closely with the U.S. military, Anthropic said it would keep safeguards blocking two uses of artificial intelligence: mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons.
The company warned that AI-driven surveillance could allow authorities to combine large amounts of personal data into detailed profiles of Americans without sufficient legal protections, threatening civil liberties.
Anthropic also opposed using its AI models in weapons systems capable of selecting and attacking targets without human oversight, saying current technology is not reliable enough and could endanger civilians and troops.
“Frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons,” CEO Dario Amodei said.
Anthropic said the Pentagon warned the firm could be removed from government systems or labeled a supply-chain risk if safeguards remain in place — a designation usually reserved for foreign adversaries. Officials reportedly also suggested invoking the Defense Production Act to compel compliance.
The company called the threats contradictory and said it remains willing to continue supporting U.S. military operations under existing safeguards.
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