Anthropic Response to Department of War Supply Chain Risk Designation

Anthropic has been designated as a supply chain risk to U.S. national security by the Department of War. The company intends to challenge this legal designation in court while continuing to provide its AI models to the national security community to avoid disrupting active combat operations.

Legal Challenge to Supply Chain Risk Designation

Anthropic is contesting the Department of War's designation of the company as a supply chain risk, asserting that the action is not legally sound. The company's challenge is based on the following points:

• Narrow Statutory Scope: The designation is governed by 10 USC 3252, a statute designed to protect the government rather than punish suppliers. The law requires the Secretary of War to utilize the "least restrictive means necessary" to protect the supply chain.
• Limited Impact on Customers: The designation applies specifically to the use of Claude by customers as a direct part of contracts with the Department of War. It does not apply to all customers who hold Department of War contracts, nor does it limit the use of Claude for business activities unrelated to those specific contracts.

Operational Support and Transition

To ensure that national security experts and warfighters are not deprived of critical tools during major combat operations, Anthropic has committed to the following:

• Continued Model Access: Anthropic will provide its models to the Department of War and the national security community at a nominal cost.

• Engineering Support: The company will provide continuing support from its engineers for as long as is necessary to facilitate a smooth transition and as long as they are legally permitted to do so.

Clarification of Company Stance and Ethics

Anthropic clarifies that it does not believe private companies should be involved in operational military decision-making, which it maintains is the sole role of the military. The company's concerns regarding its partnership with the government have centered on two specific exceptions:

1. Fully autonomous weapons.
2. Mass domestic surveillance.

Response to Internal Leaks and External Pressure

CEO Dario Amodei apologized for the tone of an internal post that was leaked to the press. Amodei stated the post was written six days prior to the announcement and was an out-of-date assessment written during a period of high tension following a Truth Social post by the President and an X post by the Secretary of War announcing the supply chain risk designation.