Pentagon Gives Anthropic an Ultimatum Over the Company’s A.I. Model
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- The Pentagon has issued an ultimatum to Anthropic, the sole AI company operating on classified military systems, demanding compliance by Friday or facing consequences.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to invoke the Defense Production Act to compel military use of Anthropic's model and label the company a supply chain risk if it refuses.
- These conflicting threats—either barring government use or forcing it—highlight Pentagon frustration and the strategic importance of Anthropic's AI model to the military.
- Experts warn that such aggressive government tactics risk undermining national security designations by turning them into leverage for business disputes.
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with Hegseth at the Pentagon, where the company declined to comply
