Anthropic sues the U.S. government, demanding the Pentagon revoke the "Supply Chain Risk" designation

Mars Finance reports that, according to Reuters, Anthropic filed a lawsuit on Monday to prevent the Pentagon from placing it on the national security blacklist. This move escalates the high-stakes confrontation between the AI lab and the U.S. military over restrictions on its technology use. Last Thursday, the Pentagon officially listed Anthropic as a supply chain risk, restricting a technology reportedly used in Iranian military operations, according to sources. In the lawsuit, Anthropic claims this designation is illegal and infringes on its free speech and due process rights. The documents filed in the California federal court request the judge to revoke the designation and prevent federal agencies from enforcing it. Anthropic stated, “These actions are unprecedented and illegal. The Constitution does not permit the government to use its vast power to punish a company’s protected speech.” Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic as a national security supply chain risk after it refused to remove restrictions on its AI being used for autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance. This designation poses a significant threat to Anthropic’s government business and could influence how other AI companies negotiate restrictions on their technology’s military use. However, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei clarified on Thursday that the designation is “limited in scope,” and the company can still use its tools in projects unrelated to the Pentagon.