Anthropic filed two lawsuits against the Defense Department on Monday, alleging that the government’s decision to label the artificial intelligence firm a “supply chain risk” was unlawful and a violation of its First Amendment rights. The two sides have been locked in a months-long heated feud over the company’s effort to implement safeguards against the potential use of its AI models by the military for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous lethal weapons.
The lawsuits that Anthropic filed in the Northern District Court of California and the US Court of Appeals for the Washington DC Circuit come after the Pentagon formally issued a supply chain risk designation last Thursday, the first time the blacklisting tool has been used against a US company. The AI firm had earlier vowed to challenge the designation and its demand that any company doing business with the government cut all ties with Anthropic, citing it as a serious threat to its business model.
Anthropic’s lawsuit argues that the Trump administration is punishing the company for refusing to comply with the government’s ideological demands, a violation of its protected speech and an attempt to punish the company for not complying.
“These actions are unprecedented and unlawful. The Constitution does not allow the government to use its vast power to punish a company for its protected speech,” Anthropic said in its California lawsuit.
Anthropic’s AI model, called Cloud, has been deeply integrated into the Defense Department over the past year. Until recently, it was also the only AI model approved for use in cloud classified systems. The DOD has reportedly used it extensively in its military operations, including deciding where to target missile strikes in the war against Iran.
Anthropic emphasized in its lawsuit that it is still committed to providing AI for national security purposes. The company also said in its California lawsuit that it had previously collaborated with the DoD to modify its systems for unique use cases. According to a statement, the company also wants to continue its talks with the government.
“Seeking judicial review does not change our long-term commitment to using AI to protect our national security, but it is a necessary step to protect our business, our customers and our partners,” an Anthropic spokesperson said in a statement to the Guardian. “We will continue to pursue every avenue toward resolution, including dialogue with the government.”
The AI firm alleges in the lawsuit that the Trump administration and the Pentagon’s punitive actions are “causing irreparable harm to Anthropic”, a charge somewhat contradicted by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. telling CBS News last week that “the impact of this designation is quite minimal” and the company “will recover”.
“Defendants are trying to destroy the economic value created by one of the world’s fastest-growing private companies, which is leading the way in responsibly developing an emerging technology of critical importance to our nation,” Anthropic alleged in its lawsuit.
DoD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
