US President Donald Trump ordered all federal agencies to immediately stop using technology developed by AI company Anthropic. At the same time, OpenAI has signed a new agreement with the US Department of War to deploy its AI models on classified government networks, CEO Sam Altman announced.
Why did Trump ban Anthropic?
The dispute began over how AI tools could be used in warfare. Anthropic has taken a clear stand against allowing its AI systems to be used for fully autonomous weapons or for large-scale domestic surveillance. The company says its technology has built-in safety limits that should not be removed.
However, this position reportedly created tensions with the Pentagon. The Department of War had already been considering labeling Anthropic as a “supply-chain risk,” which could block it from future defence contracts. The situation escalated when Trump announced on Truth Social that all federal agencies must stop using Anthropic’s technology.
“We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again,” Trump wrote. He accused the company of trying to pressure the military and claimed its actions could put US troops and national security at risk. A six-month transition period has been allowed for departments currently using its products.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei defended the company’s position, saying it would not weaken the safety protections built into its Claude AI system.
OpenAI steps in with new defence deal
Soon after Trump’s directive, OpenAI confirmed that it had reached an agreement with the Department of War. Sam Altman said OpenAI would deploy its AI systems on secure, classified networks under strict rules. He explained that the agreement is based on two key principles:
No domestic mass surveillance
Humans must remain responsible for any decisions involving the use of force, including autonomous weapons. Altman said these principles are clearly written into the contract and align with existing US laws. According to Altman, OpenAI will place special engineers inside the Department of War to monitor how the AI models are used and to ensure safety standards are followed.
He also said that all AI systems will operate only on secure cloud infrastructure. OpenAI has asked the Department of War to apply the same safety rules to all AI vendors in the future. “We want things to move away from legal and government battles and toward reasonable agreements,” Altman said, adding that the company remains committed to serving humanity responsibly.
