Pete Hegseth tells Anthropic to fall in line with DoD desires, or else (arstechnica.com)

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a stark ultimatum to AI startup Anthropic, demanding that it agree to the Department of Defense's (DoD) requirements for its technology's use in military applications by a set deadline. This confrontation arises from Anthropic's hesitance to provide unrestricted access to its AI models, which the DoD desires for sensitive uses such as domestic surveillance and autonomous military operations lacking human oversight. Hegseth's meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei escalated the situation, with threats of cutting the company from the military supply chain or invoking the Defense Production Act, a significant piece of Cold War-era legislation that could compel compliance with defense demands. This showdown highlights critical tensions at the intersection of AI ethics and national security, as Anthropic seeks to balance its commitment to responsible AI deployment with the U.S. military's urgent technological needs. If Anthropic fails to comply, it risks being labeled a supply chain risk by the Pentagon, further complicating its operational viability within the defense sector. This situation underscores broader concerns within the AI/ML community regarding the ethical implications of AI in military contexts, potentially setting a precedent for how AI technologies are integrated into defense strategies in the future.