Trump Bans Federal Use Of “Woke” Anthropic AI As Dispute With Pentagon Intensifies
Washington: US President Donald Trump has directed all federal agencies to cease using artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic, escalating a sharp conflict between the government and the AI firm over how its systems may be employed by the military and other departments. Trump announced the directive in a post on his Truth Social platform, declaring that the United States would “never allow a radical left, woke company to dictate how our great military fights and wins wars.”
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 27, 2026
In his announcement, Trump said every agency must immediately stop using Anthropic’s technology, adding that entities such as the Department of Defense would have up to six months to phase out their reliance on the company’s AI tools. He warned that if Anthropic did not cooperate during the transition, he might employ the full powers of the presidency, including potential civil and criminal consequences.
The clash stems from a breakdown in negotiations between Anthropic and the Pentagon’s leadership. Defense officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, demanded that Anthropic permit broader military access to its AI models, specifically for “any lawful use,” without the ethical restrictions the company imposes. Anthropic, whose Claude chatbot system was widely deployed in federal and classified settings, has stood firm on safeguards meant to prevent its technology from being used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous lethal weapons.
Hegseth has gone further by labeling Anthropic a “supply chain risk,” a designation typically applied to foreign adversaries that could block other defence contractors from using its products. The standoff has drawn praise from some industry figures for Anthropic’s ethical stance and criticism from others who urge clearer rules for AI in defence.
Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, has said the firm cannot in good conscience accept the Pentagon’s demands, and legal challenges to the government’s actions are anticipated.
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