Dario Amodei stated he would not comply with the Pentagon’s requests for unrestricted technology use in surveillance or fully autonomous weaponry.
President Donald Trump, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior officials, unleashed a barrage of provocative social media statements on Friday, calling for all federal entities to cease utilizing Anthropic’s AI innovations. They labeled the $380 billion firm as “radical left” and “woke.”
This vitriolic discourse emerged just a day after Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, declared his inability to “in good conscience accede” to Pentagon demands for unrestricted application of its technology, which he characterized as facilitating “mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons.”
While the Pentagon asserted its lack of interest in such applications and vowed to deploy technology in legally compliant manners, it nonetheless insisted on unbridled access.
Trump proclaimed in an all-caps post on Truth Social, “The United States of America will never permit a radical left, woke company to dictate how our great military fights and wins wars!”
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Trump asserted that Anthropic erred in attempting to leverage the Pentagon. He demanded an immediate cessation of Anthropic’s AI use by most agencies, though offering the Pentagon a six-month window to phase out technology already integrated into military platforms, as reported by The Associated Press.
Following a series of private discussions that erupted into public scrutiny this week, Anthropic articulated its concerns regarding the government’s revised contract terms, which it suggested would permit “safeguards to be disregarded at will.” Amodei reiterated his stance against acquiescence to these demands.
Anthropic expressed concerns about contract terms, suggesting “safeguards to be disregarded at will.”
Anthropic, potentially able to absorb the loss of the contract, views the government’s maneuvers as possessing more extensive implications, particularly in light of its accelerated ascent from a relatively obscure computer science research facility in San Francisco to a leading global startup.
The president’s proclamation was preceded by hours of social media critiques delivered by senior Pentagon and State Department appointees targeting Anthropic, whose assertions were often contradictory.
Sean Parnell, a prominent Pentagon spokesman, stated via social media that Anthropic’s reluctance to comply with military demands was “jeopardizing critical military operations and potentially putting our warfighters at risk.”
Hegseth further emphasized that the Pentagon “must have full, unrestricted access to Anthropic’s models for every LAWFUL purpose in defense of the Republic.”
Trump’s rhetoric also warned that Anthropic should “better get their act together, and be helpful” during the designated six-month period or face “major civil and criminal consequences.”
Yet, Hegseth’s classification of Anthropic as a supply chain risk leverages an administrative mechanism typically reserved for companies with ties to U.S. adversaries to preclude their engagements affecting American interests.
Sen. Mark Warner, a leading Democrat within the Senate Intelligence Committee, highlighted the troubling dynamic, indicating that the inflammatory rhetoric directed at Anthropic raises fundamental questions about whether decisions regarding national security are predicated on methodical analysis or political motivations.
Despite the Pentagon’s vitriolic stance towards Anthropic and Amodei, sources informed Axios that the department has acquiesced to comparable restrictions delineated in a partnership with Sam Altman’s OpenAI.
“It is crucial to me that we pursue the right course, rather than opting for the superficial approach that may appear strong yet lacks sincerity,” stated Altman in a memo to staff.
“While this may not ‘look good’ in the short term, we must consider the nuance and context involved.”
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Trump warned of “major civil and criminal consequences” following the company’s refusal to grant unrestricted government access to its technology.
Amidst this turmoil, employees at OpenAI and Google have reportedly rallied for their leadership to express solidarity with Anthropic.
While Altman seemed to maintain a consistent stance regarding similar restrictions for governmental access to its AI, his rapport with the Trump administration is markedly more favorable compared to that of Amodei.
Altman, among several tech magnates, contributed $1 million to Trump’s second inauguration and has reportedly donated millions to Trump’s principal super PAC, MAGA Inc.
This contention has alarmed AI developers across Silicon Valley, where venture capitalists, renowned AI researchers, and many employees from Anthropic’s rival companies—OpenAI and Google—have publicly supported Amodei’s stance through letters and various forums.
The unfolding situation may fortify Elon Musk’s rival chatbot, Grok, which the Pentagon is purportedly planning to integrate with classified military networks.
It also serves as a cautionary note to competitors like Google and OpenAI, who are currently navigating evolving contracts to deliver their AI technologies to the military.
Musk has openly sided with the Trump administration, asserting on his platform X that “Anthropic hates Western Civilization.”
Source link: The-express.com.
