The Department of Defense Threatens to Appropriate an AI Company That Refuses to Allow its Technology to be Used for Surveillance

The use of artificial intelligence by the U.S. military may be necessary to keep up with other countries that make use of it. But it also raises difficult questions about the potential abuse of the new technology by the military and other agencies, particularly for internal surveillance. The Trump administration’s response to these concerns is to threaten to simply to seize the new technology.

The Washington Post reports:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened Anthropic, saying officials could invoke powers that would allow the government to force the artificial intelligence firm to share its novel technology in the name of national security if it does not agree by Friday to terms favorable to the military, people familiar with the ongoing discussions said.

But Anthropic is prepared to walk away from the negotiations—and its $200 million contract with the Defense Department—if concerns over the use of its technology for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance are not addressed, according to the people familiar with the discussions. …

Tensions have risen between the firm and the Pentagon in recent weeks over how Anthropic’s AI was applied during the raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Defense officials responded swiftly, suggesting that if Anthropic did not allow the Pentagon to apply the AI as it wants to, within lawful limits, the company would be considered a supply-chain risk, costing it and any firm subcontracting its AI future business opportunities.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Hegseth went further, saying Anthropic could in addition be subject to the Defense Production Act—which enables the government to gain control of firms and their products—in the name of national security. The DPA was used during the covid pandemic to address medical supply shortfalls.

America’s military strength depends on our government’s partnership with the world’s best scientists and most innovative companies. But their willingness to work with the government depends on the presumption they are working for the good guys—and if this administration substitutes threats and expropriation for persuasion, they will destroy that presumption.

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