Federal Judge Strikes Down Pentagon’s Blacklist Against AI Firm Anthropic

A federal court has halted the Defense Department’s move to blacklist AI company Anthropic, marking a major win in the firm’s ongoing legal battle with the military over how artificial intelligence should be used in warfare.

Court Calls Designation Unlawful

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin ruled that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to label Anthropic a national security supply-chain risk was baseless and unlawful. In a lengthy written order, she stated that invoking national security cannot serve as a free pass to punish companies for criticizing government policy.

Background of the Dispute

The conflict began after Anthropic declined to let the Pentagon deploy its Claude AI systems for domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. The company argued the designation violated its constitutional rights to free expression and fair process, while defense officials maintained the restrictions stemmed from contract disagreements, not safety objections.

What Comes Next

Anthropic still faces a second, separate legal challenge in Washington tied to a similar risk designation that could limit its access to civilian federal contracts.