A leading artificial intelligence laboratory has reaffirmed its stance against loosening safety controls that would allow its technology to be used for autonomous weapon targeting or domestic surveillance in the United States, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
The position was communicated by Anthropic after a meeting convened to resolve a months-long disagreement with the U.S. Department of Defense. The session brought together Anthropic's chief executive and the U.S. Defense Secretary to review the impasse over the company's usage restrictions.
At the heart of the dispute are safety measures Anthropic has installed to limit military applications of its models, including restrictions aimed at preventing autonomous weapons targeting and prohibiting use for U.S. domestic surveillance. Anthropic has declined to remove those safeguards, the person said.
Pentagon officials have countered that the government should be required only to follow existing U.S. law rather than adhere to the broader usage restrictions Anthropic has imposed. During the meeting, the Defense Secretary presented an ultimatum, telling Anthropic it could be treated as a supply-chain risk if it did not change course, the person familiar with the meeting said.
The alternative presented by the Pentagon was to invoke a statute that would compel Anthropic to alter its internal rules. Following the exchange, the government set a firm deadline, giving Anthropic until Friday to provide its response.
The Pentagon did not immediately reply to requests for comment after the meeting, the person said.
What happened
- Anthropic held to its refusal to remove safeguards blocking autonomous targeting and U.S. domestic surveillance uses.
- The Defense Secretary warned of a supply-chain risk designation or the use of a law to force rule changes.
- The government set a Friday deadline for Anthropic to respond.
Context and limits of reporting
Details of the discussions and the precise legal mechanism the Pentagon referenced were not specified in the account provided to reporters. The description of positions and the ultimatum come from a single person familiar with the matter.