A San Francisco judge, Rita Lin, issued a temporary injunction blocking the Trump administration's move to label artificial intelligence company Anthropic as a "supply chain risk to national security." This order will take effect in seven days, giving the government time to appeal.
Judge Lin stated that the government could choose not to use Anthropic products but seemed to be punishing the company for publicly criticizing the administration. That would violate free speech rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, she added, noting that the designation was likely unlawful and arbitrary.
An Anthropic spokesperson said, "We're grateful to the court for moving swiftly, and pleased they agree Anthropic is likely to succeed on the merits. While this case was necessary to protect Anthropic, our customers, and our partners, our focus remains on working productively with the government to ensure all Americans benefit from safe, reliable AI."
The legal dispute stems from a disagreement between the firm and the Trump administration over safety restrictions embedded in its AI model, Claude, which limit its use in war-gaming scenarios. Anthropic refused to allow the department to use its AI technology for mass surveillance of U.S. citizens or in autonomous weapons, despite warnings.
This triggered U.S. President Donald Trump to label Anthropic a "supply chain risk" and order federal agencies to halt all contracts with the firm. The designation also means that other defense vendors and contractors must certify that they do not use Anthropic's models in their work for the government.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was infuriated by the company's non-cooperation. In a post on X, he had said the company "delivered a master class in arrogance and betrayal as well as a textbook case of how not to do business with the United States Government or the Pentagon." Before the disagreement, Anthropic had been the only AI firm cleared for confidential military use; following the dispute, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI signed an agreement with the defense department.
Source: www.dw.com