Anthropic sues Trump administration as row over AI use by military deepens

Anthropic on Monday filed a lawsuit to block the Pentagon from placing it on a national security blacklist, escalating the artificial intelligence lab’s high-stakes battle with the US military over usage restrictions on its technology.Anthropic said in its lawsuit that the designation was unlawful and violated its free speech and due process rights. The filing in federal court in California asked a judge to undo the designation and block federal ‌agencies from enforcing it.“These actions are unprecedented and unlawful. The Constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech,” Anthropic said.The Pentagon on Thursday slapped a formal supply-chain risk designation on Anthropic, limiting use of a technology that a source said was being used for military operations in Iran.Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic after the start-up refused to remove guardrails against using its AI for autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance. The two sides had been in increasingly contentious talks over those limitations for months.US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth listens while travelling on Air Force One on Saturday. Photo: APAnthropic officials said the lawsuit did not preclude reopening negotiations with the US government ⁠and reaching a settlement. The company has said it did not want to be fighting with the US government.