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Unsealed emails show the Pentagon called Anthropic's weapons guardrails 'not workable'

Unsealed emails show the Pentagon called Anthropic's weapons guardrails 'not workable'

Court documents unsealed July 2 in N.D. Cal. show Pentagon Under Secretary Emil Michael telling Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei their contract was 'very close' — one day after the Pentagon finalized a supply-chain risk designation against the company, and before telling it. The real fight was control: Michael called Anthropic's two redlines — no fully autonomous weapons, no domestic surveillance — 'just not workable,' pressing instead for 'all lawful uses.' It is the first time 10 U.S.C. 3252 has been aimed at a domestic firm, and Judge Rita Lin, granting an injunction, called the branding 'classic illegal First Amendment retaliation.'

Source: techtimes.com ↗

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Just not workable.

Emil Michael, Pentagon Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

Why this matters

  • → Pentagon weaponized federal law against domestic firm for refusing to remove AI safety guardrails.
  • → Reveals military pressure to enable autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance without human control.
  • → First time 10 U.S.C. 3252 used against U.S. company; judge called it First Amendment retaliation.
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