Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei rejects U.S. Department of War demand to drop AI safeguards

Feb 26, 2026

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei publicly refused Thursday to comply with Pentagon demands for unrestricted access to the company's Claude AI models, saying Anthropic would rather lose its government contract than allow its technology for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued an ultimatum Tuesday giving Anthropic until Friday to allow unrestricted military use or risk losing its contract, with military officials warning they could designate Anthropic a supply chain risk or invoke the Cold War-era Defense Production Act. Anthropic remains the last major AI company without a contract for the new U.S. military internal network, while Google, OpenAI, and Elon Musk's xAI have already signed on. Congressional members including Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Thom Tillis criticized the Pentagon's public pressure campaign as unprofessional bullying that demonstrates disregard for AI governance, while Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell insisted the military only wants lawful uses and won't let any company dictate operational decisions.

Anthropic's refusal to drop AI safeguards for Pentagon

▪Dario Amodei stated that Anthropic is not walking away from negotiations with the Pentagon.
▪Dario Amodei said that if the Pentagon doesn't reconsider its position, Anthropic will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider.
▪Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said Thursday that Anthropic cannot in good conscience accede to the Pentagon's demands to allow unrestricted use of Anthropic's technology.
▪The Pentagon has contracts with Google, OpenAI, and Elon Musk's xAI for the new U.S. military internal network.

Pentagon's ultimatum and threats against Anthropic

▪Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic an ultimatum on Tuesday to allow the Pentagon to use Anthropic's AI as it sees fit by Friday or risk losing its government contract.
▪Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Dario Amodei on Tuesday before issuing the ultimatum.
▪Emil Michael alleged on X that Dario Amodei has a God-complex and wants nothing more than to try to personally control the U.S. Military.

Congressional and political reactions to the dispute

▪Sen. Thom Tillis is a North Carolina Republican who is not seeking reelection.
▪Sen. Mark Warner is a Virginia Democrat and the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Pentagon's broader approach to AI governance and legal oversight

▪Pete Hegseth became defense secretary in late January or early February 2026.
▪Pete Hegseth told Fox News in February 2026 that ultimately, the Pentagon wants lawyers who give sound constitutional advice and don't exist to attempt to be roadblocks to anything.
▪The Navy's top lawyer resigned shortly after the election in late 2024.
▪Pete Hegseth fired the top lawyers for the Army and the Air Force in February 2026 without explanation.