Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei stated that the company will not comply with the Pentagon's request to remove safeguards from its AI models, despite threats of exclusion from defense systems. The dispute centers on preventing the AI's use in autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance. The firm, which has a $200 million contract with the Department of Defense, emphasizes its commitment to ethical AI use.
Anthropic, an AI startup backed by Google and Amazon, is locked in a dispute with the U.S. Department of Defense over safeguards in its AI technology, particularly its model Claude.
On Thursday, CEO Dario Amodei announced that the company cannot accede to the Pentagon's demands, which include removing restrictions that bar the AI from being used to target weapons autonomously or for mass domestic surveillance in the United States.
The Pentagon has a contract with Anthropic worth up to $200 million. However, the department insists on contracting only with AI firms that allow "any lawful use" of their technology, requiring the removal of such safeguards.
Amodei noted that uses like mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons have never been part of their contracts and should not be included now. He revealed threats from the department to remove Anthropic from its systems, designate it a supply chain risk, and invoke the Defense Production Act to force the changes.
"Regardless, these threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request," Amodei said.
In response, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X that the department has no interest in using AI for mass surveillance of Americans or developing autonomous weapons without human involvement. "Here’s what we’re asking: Allow the Pentagon to use Anthropic’s model for all lawful purposes," Parnell said.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Anthropic's statement.
Amodei expressed hope that the department would reconsider, given the value of Anthropic's technology to the armed forces, and offered to facilitate a smooth transition if needed.
An Anthropic spokesperson added that the company is ready to continue discussions and is committed to operational continuity for the Department and America's warfighters.
