The Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael declared Thursday that his agency will not pursue future discussions with artificial intelligence company Anthropic, following the military’s decision to classify the tech firm as a supply-chain threat.
During a CNBC interview on March 12, Michael firmly stated his position on potential future talks with the AI company. “There’s no chance. The (Anthropic) leadership has proven, through the leaking and through sort of bad faith negotiation that they don’t want to reach an agreement,” Michael explained.
When contacted by Reuters for a response, Anthropic representatives did not provide immediate comment.
The Defense Department made the decision last week to classify Anthropic as a supply-chain threat, a designation that prohibits military personnel from using the company’s artificial intelligence systems and prevents defense contractors from incorporating the technology into military projects.
In response to the government’s action, Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration this Monday, arguing the Pentagon’s decision violates the law and threatens to eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars in potential business revenue.
The conflict stands out particularly because Anthropic had actively pursued partnerships with U.S. national security agencies ahead of many competing artificial intelligence firms.
Anthropic’s Chief Executive Dario Amodei has previously stated he does not fundamentally oppose the development of AI-powered weapons systems, though he maintains that today’s artificial intelligence capabilities lack the precision necessary for such applications.
According to Reuters reporting, Anthropic’s financial backers have been working urgently to minimize the business impact from the Pentagon dispute. Several parties, including rival company OpenAI and various investors, have voiced concerns about the government’s decision.
