U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday directed all federal agencies to immediately cease using technology from AI developer Anthropic.

"We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Anthropic is embroiled in a dispute with the Trump administration over who decides how its AI tools can be deployed on the battlefield and for domestic security. Trump's comments came just before a Pentagon deadline for Anthropic to grant unfettered access to its AI tools.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said earlier this week he would not comply with such demands due to concerns about mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. Trump stated that Anthropic's tools will be phased out of all government work over the next six months, and he labeled the company "woke" and an "out-of-control, Radical Left AI company."

Anthropic has been used by the U.S. government and military since 2024. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Prior to Trump's decision, Anthropic received backing in its stance against the government. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman explicitly supported rival executive Amodei, stating his company also has "red lines" regarding product applications, such as domestic surveillance and autonomous offensive weapons.

On Friday morning, groups representing roughly 700,000 tech workers at Amazon, Google, and Microsoft signed an open letter urging their employers to "refuse to comply" with Pentagon demands.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last week summoned Amodei to Washington, issuing two contradictory ultimatums: if Anthropic refused to grant the department free rein for "any lawful use" of its tools, he would invoke the Defense Production Act or designate the company a "supply chain risk."

Amodei said on Thursday he would rather stop working with the Pentagon than acquiesce. Hegseth announced via X on Friday that Anthropic would be immediately designated a supply chain risk, barring any defense contractors from commercial activity with the company.

Source: www.bbc.com