Trump administration threatens wartime powers to force AI firm Anthropic into military partnership
NEW YORK — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued an ultimatum to artificial intelligence company Anthropic this week, demanding the firm grant the military unrestricted access to its technology by Friday or risk losing its government contracts.
Trump administration officials also warned they may designate Anthropic, the developer of the Claude chatbot, as a supply chain risk. The government is reportedly considering the Defense Production Act (DPA), a Cold War-era law, to compel the company’s cooperation.
Invoking the DPA could allow the military to deploy Anthropic’s products regardless of whether the company approves. CEO Dario Amodei has frequently voiced ethical concerns regarding the potential misuse of AI in military applications.
Experts noted that using the DPA in this manner would be unprecedented and likely face legal challenges. The standoff highlights an escalating debate over the integration of AI into national security operations.
Saigon Sentinel Analysis
The Trump administration’s recent Department of Defense maneuver marks a sharp escalation in the friction between Washington and Silicon Valley. No longer a mere request for voluntary cooperation, the Pentagon’s move serves as an ultimatum, signaling a "national security first" doctrine for critical emerging technologies.
At the center of this dispute is the invocation of the Defense Production Act (DPA)—a move that is both groundbreaking and legally fraught. Historically, the DPA has been a tool for securing physical supply chains, such as producing PPE during the pandemic or addressing infant formula shortages. Repurposing these wartime-era powers to compel a software company to overhaul its terms of service or strip away ethical guardrails represents an untested legal frontier. This expansion of executive authority is almost certain to be challenged in federal court.
We are witnessing a fundamental philosophical collision. Anthropic, founded by OpenAI veterans with a mandate for "AI safety," is built on the premise of ethical development. CEO Dario Amodei’s public opposition to fully autonomous weaponry and mass surveillance stands in direct opposition to the Pentagon’s strategic requirements. This is not merely a contractual dispute; it is a conflict between a vision for safe, aligned AI and the exigencies of unrestricted military necessity.
The resolution of this standoff will set a definitive precedent. Should Anthropic yield, it could open a Pandora’s box of government intervention in private technology development. Conversely, a successful resistance would fortify the tech industry’s autonomy against state overreach. The outcome will dictate the trajectory of AI governance and its role within the military-industrial complex for decades to come.