AI Company Hits Back After Pentagon Declares Supply‑Chain Risk

Anthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, slammed the U. S. Defense Department’s recent label of the company as a “supply‑chain risk” in an interview with CBS News. He described the move as retaliatory and punitive, arguing that it was a first‑time sanction against an American firm. The label came after the Pentagon barred military contractors from working with Anthropic because the company would not hand over unrestricted access to its Claude model. Amodei said that Anthropic had drawn clear limits on how the government could use its technology, citing concerns about surveillance of Americans and autonomous weapons. He called disagreeing with the government “the most American thing in the world” and said that Anthropic’s actions were motivated by a desire to protect U. S. values. The CEO also mentioned that, if he could speak directly to President Trump, he would stress that Anthropic is “made up of patriotic Americans. ”In July 2025, the Defense Department awarded Anthropic a $200 million contract to develop AI tools for national security. Negotiations over the model’s potential misuse stalled when Anthropic rejected guardrails that would limit its military use. Earlier this week, former President Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology immediately and gave the Defense Department six months to phase it out. Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed this by declaring the company a national‑security risk, forbidding any contractor that does business with the Pentagon from engaging in commercial work with Anthropic. Amodei’s comments highlight a growing tension between AI innovators and government regulators, with both sides citing security concerns and ethical principles. The dispute remains unresolved as the Pentagon has set a deadline of 5:01 p. m. for a deal or loss of contracts, while Anthropic seeks to maintain its role in defense projects.