Anthropic sues US government over national security risk designation

WASHINGTON: Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has filed a lawsuit against the United States government, alleging that it was unfairly designated as a national security supply-chain risk after refusing to allow its Claude AI model to be used for autonomous lethal warfare and mass surveillance of Americans.

The suit, lodged on Monday in federal court in San Francisco, seeks to have the national security risk designation declared unlawful and blocked. Anthropic claims in its 48-page complaint that the Trump administration retaliated against the company for upholding its principles regarding the ethical use of AI technology.

According to the lawsuit, Anthropic was founded on the belief that its AI should be “used in a way that maximises positive outcomes for humanity” and aims to “be the safest and the most responsible.” The complaint states, “Anthropic brings this suit because the federal government has retaliated against it for expressing that principle.”

This marks the first time a US company has been publicly subjected to such a designation, which has typically been reserved for organizations based in foreign adversary countries, such as Chinese technology firms.

The legal action highlights growing tensions between technology companies and government agencies over the use of artificial intelligence, particularly in sensitive areas like national security and surveillance. The outcome of the case could have significant implications for how AI firms operate and engage with government contracts in the future.