This illustration photograph shows a figurine in front of the logo of the US artificial intelligence safety and research company Anthropic during a photo session in Paris on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Joel Saget / AFP)
Washington, United States: President Donald Trump told the US government Friday to "immediately" stop using Anthropic's technology after the AI startup rejected the Pentagon's demand that it agree to unconditional military use of its Claude models.
Anthropic vowed to sue over the "intimidation" and insists its technology should not be used for the mass surveillance of US citizens or deployed in fully autonomous weapons systems.
"No amount of intimidation or punishment from the Department of War will change our position on mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons," the company said in a statement Friday.
The Pentagon counters that it operates within the law and contracted suppliers cannot set terms on how their products are employed.
"I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic's technology. We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again!" Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
"Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow," Trump added.
The Pentagon had said Anthropic must agree to comply with its demand by 5:01 pm (22:01 GMT) Friday or face compulsion under the Defense Production Act.
The Cold War-era law, last invoked during the Covid pandemic, grants the federal government sweeping powers to direct private industry toward national security priorities.
The Pentagon also threatened to designate Anthropic a supply chain risk -- a label typically reserved for companies from adversary nations.
But in response Anthropic said it would seek to overturn the ban.
