Anthropic's Latest Statement on Defense Department Supply Chain Risk Designation

Odaily News Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei issued a statement on March 5th, stating that Anthropic received a formal letter from the U.S. Department of Defense (now referred to as the "Department of War") on March 4th, confirming the company's designation as a national security supply chain risk. Amodei stated that this designation lacks sufficient legal basis, and the company will challenge it through legal channels.

Amodei pointed out that the wording in the Defense Department's letter indicates that the designation only applies to situations where clients directly use Claude in Defense Department contracts and does not affect Claude usage scenarios unrelated to Defense Department contracts. He reiterated that Anthropic's previous negotiations with the Defense Department have been progressing, with communication from both sides regarding service methods and transition plans. Anthropic adheres to two bottom lines: opposition to large-scale domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons.

Amodei apologized for a previously leaked internal company post, stating it was written on the same day that Trump announced the removal of Anthropic, Defense Secretary Hegseth issued the supply chain risk designation, and OpenAI reached an agreement with the Pentagon, and its tone was not fully considered. He stated that Anthropic's current top priority is to ensure that frontline military personnel and national security experts do not lose critical tools during major military operations, and the company will continue to provide model services to the Defense Department and national security agencies at a symbolic fee.