Anthropic CEO stands firm as Pentagon deadline looms

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said Thursday which he “cannot in good conscience give in to [the Pentagon’s] request” to give the military unrestricted access to its AI systems.

“Anthropic understands that the War Department, not private companies, makes military decisions,” Amodei wrote in a statement. “In limited cases, however, we believe AI can undermine rather than defend democratic values. Some applications also simply fall outside the bounds of what current technology can do safely and reliably.”

The two cases are: mass surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons without human involvement. The Pentagon believes it should be able to use Anthropic’s model for all lawful purposes, and that its use should not be dictated by a private company.

Amodei’s statement comes less than 24 hours before Friday’s 5:01 p.m. deadline. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered Anthropic to either agree to his demands or face the consequences. The Defense Department has tried to force Amodei’s hand by labeling Anthropic as a supply chain risk — a designation reserved for foreign adversaries — or by invoking the Defense Production Act and effectively forcing the company to carry out its bid. The DPA gives the president the authority to force companies to prioritize or expand production for national defense.

Amodei pointed out the contradiction in these two threats. ‘One label us as a security risk; the other labels Claude as essential to national security.’

He added that it is the department’s right to choose contractors that best fit its vision, “but given the substantial value Anthropic’s technology provides to our armed forces, we hope they reconsider.”

Anthropic is currently the only cross-border AI lab that has military-ready systems, although the DOD is reportedly preparing xAI for the job.

“Our strong preference is to continue serving the ministry and our fighters – with the two security measures requested,” Amodei said. “Should the Department choose to retire Anthropic, we will work to ensure a smooth transition to another supplier while avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations or other critical missions.”

TLDR, he says, “We can just break up. No need to be nasty about it.”