Judge Blocks Pentagon’s Attempt to Blacklist Anthropic

Source Domain: www.cnet.com

A federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration from designating Anthropic, an AI firm, as a ‘supply chain risk’ and cutting off its access to federal contracts.
US District Judge Rita Lin granted the preliminary injunction based on the Trump administration’s “broad punitive measures” against Anthropic, which were deemed “likely unlawful.”
The ruling highlighted the lack of legal support for branding an American company as a potential adversary of the U.S. due to disagreement with the government.
The primary dispute focused on the Pentagon’s demand to use Anthropic’s AI for defense purposes and Anthropic’s refusal to comply, leading to the threat of the company being labeled a’supply chain risk.’
Judge Lin emphasized that the administration’s measures appeared more punitive than protective of national security, indicating they were designed to punish Anthropic.
The judge’s order delayed implementation for a week to enable the Pentagon to seek a stay, showing a measure of consideration for government response.
Anthropic expressed gratitude for the court’s swift action and affirmed its commitment to working cooperatively with the government to ensure safe and reliable AI benefiting all Americans.
Neither the White House nor the Pentagon provided an immediate response to the ruling.

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