Judge rules Pentagon blacklisting of Anthropic unconstitutional
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A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic was unconstitutional. Judge Rita F. Lin found the designation was unlawful retaliation for the AI lab's criticism of military AI use. The ruling marks a win for Anthropic in its monthslong legal battle with the Trump administration.
Key Facts
- Judge Rita F. Lin of the Northern District of California ruled the Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic was unconstitutional.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk was called 'arbitrary and capricious' by the judge.
- The lawsuit was filed in March in a California district court, accusing the Trump administration of unlawful retaliation.
- Anthropic had refused to sign new Pentagon contract terms allowing AI use for 'any lawful use', including mass surveillance and lethal autonomous weapons.
- After the blacklisting, the Pentagon signed deals with seven other AI labs, including Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and SpaceX.
The Ruling
Judge Rita F. Lin wrote that 'the empty invocation of national security is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics.' She stated the actions were 'unlawful retaliation in violation of the First Amendment' and that Hegseth's decision was 'arbitrary and capricious.' Lin noted the Department of War is free to choose its AI vendor, but the evidence showed the broad measures imposed on Anthropic were illegal and baseless.
Background of Dispute
The conflict began when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moved to renegotiate all AI labs' military contracts to permit 'any lawful use' of AI. Anthropic alone refused, setting restrictions against mass surveillance of Americans and lethal autonomous weapons. Less than 24 hours before a final ultimatum, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated the company would not change its stance. Anthropic was then named a 'supply chain risk', a classification usually reserved for national security threats.
Legal Battle
Anthropic filed a lawsuit in March in a California district court, and Judge Lin temporarily blocked the Pentagon's blacklist. In that order, Lin wrote the Department of War designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk because of its 'hostile manner through the press.' She called punishing Anthropic for bringing public scrutiny to the government's contracting position 'classic illegal First Amendment retaliation.'
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Judge rules Pentagon blacklisting of Anthropic unconstitutional
