tech
February 26, 2026
Anthropic CEO stands firm as Pentagon deadline looms
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said Thursday that he "cannot in good conscience accede" to the Pentagon's demands to give the military unrestricted access to its AI systems.
TL;DR
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei will not grant the Pentagon unrestricted access to its AI systems.
- Concerns cited include mass surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons.
- The Pentagon believes it should have access for all lawful purposes, not dictated by private companies.
- The Department of Defense has threatened to label Anthropic a supply chain risk or use the Defense Production Act.
- Amodei noted the contradiction in threats labeling the company a security risk and essential to national security.
- Anthropic is currently the only AI lab with classified-ready systems for the military.
- The company prefers to continue serving the Department with safeguards but will facilitate a transition if necessary.
Continue reading the original article