Trump officials fire back at Anthropic over AI tool ban - MSN

The Trump administration fired its opening legal shot at Anthropic on Tuesday, filing court documents that defend the Pentagon decision to blacklist the AI company and reject its First Amendment challenge. The filing, submitted by the Justice Department, argues Anthropic is unlikely to succeed on its claims that the government action violated speech protections under the First Amendment. The administration position: Anthropic refusal to remove usage restrictions on its technology is conduct, not protected speech. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic a national security supply chain risk on March 3, after months of negotiations between the Pentagon and the company reached an impasse. Anthropic had refused to remove guardrails that prevent its AI the Claude assistant from being used for autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance. The company has said AI systems are not yet safe enough for autonomous weapons use. Anthropic sued in California federal court on March 9, asking a judge to block the designation while the case proceeds. The company argues the action violated its free speech and due process rights and failed to follow required procedures. A separate challenge is pending before a D.C. appeals court. Legal experts have said Anthropic appears to have a strong case. The company executives have said the blacklisting could cost it billions of dollars in lost sales this year.