A United States federal judge has ruled in favor of the artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic in its dispute with the Pentagon over its labeling as a "supply chain risk."
California district judge Rita Lin concluded that the label constituted an attempt by the government to make an example of Anthropic after the company refused to allow unrestricted military use of its technology and criticized the Department of Defense's use of AI.
Lin wrote in a 59-page ruling that "the empty invocation of national security is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics."
She said the government's actions were "based on a desire to make a public example out of Anthropic for its 'arrogance' in criticizing the government, not based on any articulable basis to believe that Anthropic would actually sabotage its model."
An Anthropic spokesperson said they welcomed the judge's ruling, saying in a statement: "We remain focused on working productively with the government to harness AI for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology."
