Anthropic asks court to rehear Pentagon AI model blacklisting appeal
AI firm Anthropic is asking a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. to rehear its case concerning the Pentagon's blacklisting of its AI models. The company alleges the decision was retaliation for its AI safety commitments.
AI company Anthropic has asked a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. to rehear its case challenging the Pentagon's blacklisting of its artificial intelligence models. In September, the D.C. Circuit court upheld the Defense Department's March decision, which designated Anthropic as a "supply chain risk."
Anthropic's attorneys argue that the court ignored "straightforward evidence the designation was retaliation for Anthropic’s speech about AI safety." The company initially sued to overturn the Defense Department's actions, which prevented defense contractors from using Anthropic technology.
The Pentagon applied the "supply chain risk" designation after negotiations over the implementation of Anthropic's Claude AI models collapsed. The company has previously refused to allow its models to be used for mass surveillance or for the development of lethal autonomous weapons, publicly explaining these AI safety commitments.
Prior to this dispute, Anthropic had been an early partner for many U.S. agencies, including the Defense Department. In July 2025, Anthropic signed a $200 million contract with the Pentagon. However, negotiations broke down in September 2026 when discussions commenced regarding the deployment of Claude models on the DOD's GenAI.mil platform.
Anthropic has stated that its refusal to engage in harmful AI applications is a core part of its operations. The company hopes a rehearing of the case may overturn the prior decision, allowing for broader ethical utilization of its technology within the defense sector.