Pages from the Anthropic website on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. PATRICK SISON / AP
AI company Anthropic said Thursday, February 26, that it would not give the US Defense Department unrestricted use of its technology despite being pressured to comply by the Pentagon.
"These threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request," Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei said in a statement.
Washington had given the artificial intelligence startup until Friday to agree to unconditional military use of its technology, even if it violates ethical standards at the company, or face being forced to comply under emergency federal powers.
Amodei said Anthropic models have been deployed by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies to defend the country but that it draws an ethical line regarding its use for mass surveillance of US citizens and fully-autonomous weapons.
