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The US Pentagon has labeled Anthropic a supply-chain risk after the AI firm refused to support autonomous weapons.

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) has officially designated AI powerhouse Anthropic as a "supply-chain risk."

The decision follows weeks of tension between the Pentagon and Anthropic’s leadership. At the heart of the conflict is a disagreement over how military forces should use Artificial Intelligence.

Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, reportedly refused to allow the military to use the company's AI models for two specific purposes: the mass surveillance of American citizens and the creation of fully autonomous weapons often referred to as "killer robots" that can fire without human intervention.

The Pentagon, however, argued that a private contractor should not be able to dictate or limit how the military uses its technology.

A Label Usually Reserved for Enemies

The "supply-chain risk" tag is a heavy blow. Historically, the US government reserves this label for foreign adversaries. 

By applying it to a domestic company like Anthropic, the Pentagon is effectively forcing any agency or partner doing business with the military to certify that they do not use Anthropic’s models.

This creates a massive problem for the military's own operations. Currently, American forces rely heavily on Anthropic’s "Claude" AI to manage data in high-stakes environments, such as the ongoing campaign in Iran. 

Claude is also a core part of the Maven Smart System, which soldiers in the Middle East use daily.

Critics Slam "Thuggish" Tactics

The backlash has been swift. Former White House AI adviser Dean Ball described the move as "thuggish," suggesting that the government is treating domestic innovators worse than foreign enemies.

Interestingly, the tech community is standing together. Hundreds of employees from rivals like Google and OpenAI have signed petitions urging the DOD to withdraw the label. 

They are calling on Congress to stop what they see as an abuse of power intended to force tech companies into supporting domestic spying.

There is also a political side to this story. Amodei has suggested the move is "retaliatory," noting that his refusal to support or donate to President Trump may have fueled the fire.

In contrast, OpenAI recently signed a deal with the Pentagon allowing its AI to be used for "all lawful purposes." While OpenAI’s leadership has been more supportive of the current administration, some of its own employees worry that the vague language of their new deal could lead to the very surveillance Anthropic tried to prevent.