Anthropic’s Chief Executive Takes on the Pentagon

Dario Amodei slams U.S. Defense Department’s “supply‑chain risk” label in a CBS News interview, calling it retaliatory and punitive.

Key Points

• Label Origin – The Pentagon barred contractors from working with Anthropic because the company would not grant unrestricted access to its Claude model.
• Amodei’s Argument – Anthropic set clear limits on government use, citing surveillance and autonomous‑weapon concerns.
• “Most American” Stance – Amodei says dissent is the truest form of patriotism and urges Trump to hear that Anthropic is “made up of patriotic Americans.”
• Contract History – In July 2025, the Defense Department awarded a $200 million contract to develop AI tools. Negotiations stalled after Anthropic rejected guardrails that would limit military use.
• Trump’s Directive – The former president ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s tech immediately, giving the Defense Department six months to phase it out.
• Security Risk Declaration – Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled Anthropic a national‑security risk and barred any contractor that works with the Pentagon from engaging in commercial work with Anthropic.

The dispute remains unresolved, with the Pentagon setting a 5:01 p.m. deadline for a deal or loss of contracts, while Anthropic seeks to retain its defense role.