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Judge calls Pentagon's moves against AI firm Anthropic "troubling": "It looks like an attempt to cripple Anthropic"

March 24, 2026 / 7:46 PM EDT / CBS News

Judge calls Pentagon's moves against AI firm Anthropic "troubling": "It looks like an attempt to cripple Anthropic"

TL;DR

  • A federal judge expressed skepticism about the Pentagon's designation of AI company Anthropic as a "supply chain risk."
  • The dispute involves Anthropic's refusal to allow its AI model Claude to be used for surveillance of Americans or fully autonomous weapons.
  • The Pentagon's designation was seen by the judge as "troubling" and potentially an attempt to punish Anthropic.
  • Anthropic argues the government's actions are an unconstitutional punishment for its stance on AI guardrails.
  • The government cited concerns about trust and potential future sabotage as reasons for the designation.
  • Anthropic denies having the ability to alter or control its software once deployed by the government.