Source: Fortune
Summary
The Trump administration and Anthropic are in a standoff over the use of AI technology for military purposes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has given Anthropic a deadline to provide unrestricted access to its AI technology or face being blacklisted from the military supply chain. Anthropic has been negotiating with the Pentagon over the use of its AI, but has taken a hard-line stance against military applications. The company has released an updated version of its Responsible Scaling Policy, which some see as a loosening of its safety commitments.
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Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei says the company faces “commercial pressure” and that its strict safety measures have limited its ability to compete with rivals. The Pentagon has awarded Anthropic, along with Google, OpenAI, and xAI, contracts worth up to $200 million. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s xAI has reached a deal to let the Pentagon use its AI for classified systems. The conflict has developed into a proxy war over who gets to set the terms on AI use: tech companies or the U.S. government.
The announcement sounds like a familiar phase.
Anthropic’s updated Responsible Scaling Policy is a reaction to changes in the market environment, prioritizing AI competitiveness and economic growth over safety-oriented discussions. The company’s chief science officer, Jared Kaplan, says the changes were made out of a concern for safety rather than competition fears. But the move has raised concerns that Anthropic is slowly unraveling its strict commitment to safety.
It’s a familiar story of “safety” giving way to “competitiveness” and “growth”.
Author: Evan Null
