Arabic version: قاضية تقضي بعدم قانونية إجراء البنتاغون ضد أنثروبيك
According to BBC News, a US judge has ruled that the Department of Defense acted unlawfully when it designated artificial intelligence startup Anthropic a supply-chain risk. US District Judge Rita Lin called the move “illegal and baseless” and said citing national security “is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics”.
Anthropic had argued in a lawsuit that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth exceeded his authority with the designation. The action followed the company’s refusal to allow military use of its AI models for purposes including surveillance or autonomous weapons. The Pentagon designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk in February, using a law typically reserved for companies based in countries seen as threatening the US. It was the first time an American company had been publicly given that designation.
Judge Lin said the Defense Department had unlawfully ordered firms doing business with the US military to boycott Anthropic. In an earlier stage of the case, she said the government was trying to “cripple” the company and “chill public debate” over military uses of AI, adding that the case appeared to be “classic First Amendment retaliation”. Anthropic said the government’s actions had harmed its business and violated its right to freedom of speech.
The Claude-maker has said its models are not reliable enough for safe use in military weapons systems and has opposed their use for domestic surveillance, describing that as a violation of rights. The Pentagon had said private companies should not be able to constrain military action, while also arguing that Anthropic’s refusal to accept new contract terms raised concerns over what it could do with its technology.
Anthropic welcomed the ruling. A spokesperson said the company was focused on “working productively with the government to harness AI for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology.” The BBC contacted the Pentagon and the White House for comment.
