Feb 28 • 02:30 UTC 🇯🇵 Japan Asahi Shimbun (JP)

Trump Excludes AI Company Anthropic from Procurement Due to Military Use Dispute

Trump has ordered the immediate halt of technology utilization from AI company Anthropic by federal agencies following their refusal to comply with military use requests from the Department of Defense.

On the 27th, President Trump announced via social media his intention to direct all federal agencies to immediately cease using technology developed by the AI company Anthropic. This decision comes as a countermeasure to the company's rejection of requests from the U.S. Department of Defense regarding military applications. As AI ethics come under scrutiny, this development may spark debates about the relationship between companies and the government over the use of artificial intelligence.

The Department of Defense had requested that Anthropic, the developer behind the AI 'Claude', relax its self-imposed restrictions that prevent its technology from being applied to weapons and other military usage. However, on the 26th, Anthropic stated that certain fields, such as 'large-scale surveillance' and 'fully autonomous weapons', exceed what current technology can execute safely and effectively, thus refusing the DOD's demands.

In response, Trump criticized Anthropic's judgment on social media, labeling it as 'the destructive error of leftist fanatics.' He expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that he would not allow directives regarding how 'our great military fights and wins' to be dictated by such companies. This scenario highlights the ongoing tensions regarding AI development and the ethical responsibilities of technology companies, especially in relation to military use cases.

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