Anthropic sues Trump administration over Pentagon blacklist

filed in anthropic a case A statement was made against the Trump administration on Monday after the artificial intelligence initiative was blacklisted and labeled as a threat to US national security.

These actions were “unprecedented and unlawful” and “irreparably harmed Anthropic,” the company said in its complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

“Anthropic’s contracts with the federal government are already being canceled. Current and future contracts with private parties are also in doubt, putting hundreds of millions of dollars in jeopardy in the near term,” the filing says. “In addition to these immediate economic damages, Anthropic’s reputation and fundamental First Amendment freedoms are also under attack. Without legal assistance, these damages will only grow further in the weeks and months to come.”

The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a dramatic two-week saga between Anthropic and the Trump administration over how the company’s AI models could be used on the battlefield and elsewhere. Before the feud between the two sides came into public view late last month, Anthropic was serving as an early partner at several U.S. agencies where the government was looking to quickly upgrade their systems and capabilities with the latest artificial intelligence technology.

On Thursday, Anthropic confirmed that it had been officially identified as a supply chain risk; This was an extraordinary move historically reserved for foreign enemies. Defense suppliers and contractors will need to document that they are not using Anthropic’s models in their work with the Pentagon.

President Donald Trump also shared a post Federal agencies were directed on social media last month to “immediately cease” all use of Anthropic’s technology.

“WE will decide the fate of our country, NOT an out-of-control, Radical Left AI corporation run by people who have no idea what the real world is,” Trump said.

Anthropic asked the court to vacate the supply chain risk designation and grant the company a stay of litigation as the legal case progresses.

Company owned filed separately For formal review of the Department of Defense’s decision at the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.

Antropik signed 200 million dollars It signed a contract with the Department of Defense in July, making it the first AI lab to deploy its technology across the agency’s secret networks. The company was renegotiating the future terms of its contract, and talks reached an impasse after the two organizations disagreed on how their models could be used.

The Department of Defense wanted Anthropic to grant the agency unrestricted access to its AI models for all lawful purposes, while Anthropic sought assurances that its models would not be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance.

As CNBC previously reported, Anthropic’s models are still being used to support the US military operation in Iran, even after the company was blacklisted.

“Seeking a judicial review does not change our long-standing commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence to protect our national security, but it is a necessary step to protect our business, customers and partners,” an Anthropic spokesperson told CNBC on Monday. “We will continue to pursue all avenues towards a solution, including dialogue with the government.”

A Defense Department spokesman said the agency does not comment on litigation.

More than a dozen federal agencies are named as defendants in the lawsuit, including the Department of Defense, the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. State Department and the General Services Administration.

“The implications of this case are enormous,” the complaint states. “Defendants seek to destroy the economic value created by one of the world’s fastest-growing private companies, a leader in the responsible development of an emerging technology that is vital to our Nation.”

WRISTWATCH: Why is the US Department of Defense’s Anthropic blacklist so unprecedented?