US Pentagon Threatens Anthropic Over Access to Autonomous Tech

The US military is stepping up pressure on AI company Anthropic to grant them unrestricted access to its technology, including mass surveillance and fully autonomous lethal weapons, or face severe consequences. Tech industry workers are re-examining their own companies’ relationships with the government and military in light of this ultimatum. The Department of Defense has been negotiating with Anthropic for weeks, pushing for removal of guardrails from the company’s AI systems to facilitate unchecked use by the US military. The intensifying public statements and threats from the Pentagon have raised concerns among tech workers about the kind of future they’re helping to build through their involvement in government and military contracts.