Trump orders halt to use of Anthropic… dispute over military AI use intensifies

U.S. President Donald Trump on the 27th (local time) ordered all federal agencies to stop using technology from Anthropic, the developer of the AI “Claude.” The move comes as the Pentagon has signaled it wants to broadly expand the scope of military applications of AI, while Anthropic has opposed the use of its models for “mass surveillance” and “fully autonomous weapons,” factors cited as key background to the decision.

In a post on his Truth Social account that day, Trump said, “America will never allow radical left ‘woke’ companies to dictate how our great military fights and wins wars,” issuing the directive to suspend use of the technology.

He added, “Left-wing zealots made the fatal mistake of coercing the War Department into capitulation and forcing it to follow their terms of service instead of the Constitution,” claiming, “Their selfishness has put American lives at risk and jeopardized our military and national security.”

Trump said, “I am directing every agency of the U.S. federal government to immediately cease use of Anthropic technology,” adding, “We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and we will never do business with them again.”

However, noting that some agencies including the Defense Department use Anthropic products at various levels, he said there would be a six-month phased wind-down period.

Trump warned, “Anthropic would be wise to come to its senses and cooperate during this period,” adding, “If not, I will marshal the full authority of the presidency to make them comply, and there will be serious civil and criminal consequences.”

Claude is currently the de facto only AI that can be used within U.S. military classified systems. The Pentagon’s position is to use Claude without restriction for “any lawful purpose” going forward, but Anthropic has pushed back, insisting its models should not be used for mass surveillance of citizens or for fully autonomous weapons.

Shin Yong-hyun, Hankyung.com reporter yonghyun@hankyung.com