US President Donald Trump has directed all federal agencies to immediately halt the use of technology developed by firm Anthropic AI, escalating tensions between the administration and the artificial intelligence company.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the federal government “does not need” Anthropic’s technology and would no longer conduct business with the company. The remarks came shortly before a Pentagon-imposed deadline requiring Anthropic to grant full access to its AI tools.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had earlier refused to comply with what he described as sweeping access demands, citing concerns that the company’s AI systems could potentially be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. Amodei said that if the US Department of Defense decided to discontinue use of Anthropic’s services, the company would ensure a smooth transition to an alternative provider.
As the Pentagon’s deadline approached, Trump posted a series of strongly worded messages warning that Anthropic must cooperate during the phase-out period. He stated that failure to do so could result in the use of the “Full Power of the Presidency,” including potential civil and criminal consequences.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also criticized the company in a social media statement, accusing Anthropic of arrogance and betraying its obligations in dealing with the US Government and the Pentagon. He announced that Anthropic would continue providing services to the Department of Defense for no more than six months to ensure a seamless transition to another provider.
Hegseth added that the relationship between Anthropic AI and the US Armed Forces has been “permanently altered,” asserting that American warfighters would not be dependent on what he described as the ideological positions of Big Tech firms.
The development marks a significant shift in the US government’s engagement with private AI companies and could have broader implications for the role of artificial intelligence in national security operations.
