Judge Rules Trump Administration Illegally Retaliated Against AI Firm Anthropic

A judge has determined that the U.S. Department of Defense acted unlawfully when it classified the artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic as a supply chain risk, deeming the action "illegal and baseless."

The company had filed a lawsuit, asserting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegeth exceeded his authority with this new designation. This decision followed Anthropic's refusal to permit the military to utilize its AI models for purposes such as surveillance or autonomous weaponry.

U.S. district judge Rita Lin stated in her ruling that invoking national security "is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics."

Anthropic expressed its satisfaction with the ruling, and the BBC has reached out to the Pentagon and the White House for comment.

A spokesperson for Anthropic indicated that the company is focused on "working productively with the government to harness AI for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology."

Anthropic's lawsuit characterized the government's actions as both "unprecedented and unlawful." The supply chain risk designation was based on a law intended to safeguard military systems from foreign sabotage.

This marked the first instance of an American company being publicly subjected to such a designation.

The developer of Claude stated that its models were not sufficiently reliable for safe integration into military weapon systems. Furthermore, the company opposed the use of its AI for domestic surveillance, viewing it as a violation of rights.

At the time, the Pentagon contended that private companies should not have the ability to restrict military operations.

The White House had previously labeled Anthropic as a "radical left, woke company" attempting to dictate military activities and argued that the military is bound by the U.S. Constitution, "not any woke AI company's terms of service."

Anthropic claimed in its lawsuit that the government's actions negatively impacted its business and infringed upon its right to freedom of speech.

Judge Lin had previously indicated during an earlier stage of the lawsuit that the government was attempting to "cripple" the company and "chill public debate" concerning the military's use of AI.

"This appears to be classic First Amendment retaliation," the judge added.

Translation to English:

A judge has ruled that the U.S. Department of Defense acted unlawfully when it designated artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic as a supply chain risk, calling the move "illegal and baseless."

The company argued in its lawsuit that Defense Secretary Pete Hegeth overstepped his authority with the new designation. This followed Anthropic's refusal to allow the military to use its AI models for purposes including surveillance or autonomous weapons.

U.S. district judge Rita Lin stated in the ruling that invoking national security "is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics."

Anthropic said it welcomes the ruling. The BBC has contacted the Pentagon and White House for comment.

A spokesperson for Anthropic said the company is focused on "working productively with the government to harness AI for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology."

Anthropic's lawsuit described the government's actions as both "unprecedented and unlawful." The supply chain risk designation cited a law aimed at protecting military systems from foreign sabotage.

This marked the first time an American company had been publicly designated as such.

The maker of Claude stated that its models were not reliable enough to be safely used in weapons systems for the military. It also added that it opposed its use for domestic surveillance as a violation of rights.

The Pentagon had stated at the time that private companies should not be able to constrain military action.

The White House had previously called Anthropic a "radical left, woke company" attempting to control military activity and argued that the military was beholden to the U.S. Constitution, "not any woke AI company's terms of service."

Anthropic claimed in its lawsuit that its business had been impacted by the government's actions and its right to freedom of speech had been violated.

Judge Lin had previously stated during an earlier phase of the lawsuit that the government was attempting to "cripple" the company and "chill public debate" over the military's use of AI.

"This appears to be classic First Amendment retaliation," the judge added.