Anthropic Reopens Pentagon Talks as Trump Weighs Supply Chain Risk Label

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has reportedly reopened negotiations with the US Department of Defense (DoD) to secure continued access to Pentagon contracts, following a breakdown in talks that threatened the company with a supply chain risk designation by the Trump administration. The discussions, involving Undersecretary of Defense Emil Michael, aim to finalize terms for the military's use of Anthropic's AI models and prevent a formal designation that would force defense contractors to sever ties. The previous collapse occurred after Michael allegedly accused Amodei of being a "liar" with a "God complex," stemming from a dispute over a clause restricting the "analysis of bulk acquired data," which Anthropic views as a red line against mass domestic surveillance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had warned of the designation, despite Anthropic holding a contract worth up to $200 million and having its models already used by national security agencies. Concurrently, major tech groups wrote to Trump, warning that labeling a domestic AI firm a supply chain risk could undermine US leadership in AI and discourage innovation relative to China.

(Source：Cointelegraph)