Statement from Dario Amodei on our discussions with the Department of War
Dario Amodei (Anthropic) @AnthropicAI · blog · 2026-02-26 · ★★★★★ · archived
Anthropic's refusal to drop its bans on mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons, which led directly to the Pentagon's supply-chain-risk designation.
Summary
Before a Pentagon deadline, Amodei wrote that Claude is widely deployed across US national-security agencies (Anthropic was the first frontier lab on classified networks). He said the company would still not remove two safeguards: no mass domestic surveillance of Americans and no fully autonomous weapons. The Department of War had threatened a supply-chain-risk designation and use of the Defense Production Act. He also stressed that the Department, not private firms, makes military decisions. Anthropic posted it on X (x.com/AnthropicAI/status/2027150818575528261, verified 2026-02-26T22:36:32Z). The next day Hegseth announced the designation. Page fetched 2026-09-29.
Archived text
- "We cannot in good conscience accede to their request."
Related events
- Pentagon designates Anthropic a "supply chain risk" after it refuses surveillance and autonomous-weapons uses 2026-02-27
- Judge rules Pentagon "supply chain risk" label on Anthropic unlawful retaliation 2026-08-27
- D.C. Circuit upholds Pentagon designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk (2–1) 2026-09-25
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