US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered all federal agencies to immediately stop using human AI tools, escalating a dispute between the Pentagon and artificial intelligence companies over military applications.
President Trump announced a six-month phase-out period and directed government agencies to stop working with AI startups.
Why did the Trump administration ban human AI?
President Trump took to Twitter to criticize the company and claim it was trying to pressure the Pentagon. The Pentagon and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth subsequently announced that Anthropic posed a supply chain risk. This means that the US military and its contractors will be prohibited from working with the company.
The Pentagon was pushing to revise the contract to allow all lawful uses of artificial intelligence. Antropic disagreed, warning that the changes could allow for fully autonomous lethal weapons and mass surveillance. Anthropic AI denies interfering with military operations and says it supports responsible defense use.
Anthropic signed a $200 million contract with the Department of Defense last year. We have developed a special model known as Claude Gov for sensitive systems. These tools are used for report generation, intelligence analysis, and military planning.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has repeatedly emphasized the safety of AI. “These weapons can also be used legally in the defense of democracy,” Amodei wrote. “But they are dangerous weapons to wield.”
Comments on President Trump’s recent comments in Anthropic magazine suggested that the debate over AI policy is more political than practical.
