Democratic senators and at least one Republican are urging the Pentagon to back down from its ultimatum to Anthropic, a leading artificial intelligence company. They say Congress should play a bigger role in regulating military use of AI, which could lead to mass surveillance.
The Pentagon has set a deadline for Anthropic to use its model Claude as it sees fit, but lawmakers are concerned about losing access to the industry-leading tool without congressional oversight. Some senators have warned that if the company doesn’t comply, it may face consequences such as being labeled a “supply chain risk.”
Lawmakers are making two key demands: stay the Friday ultimatum and work with the administration and AI industry to develop clear rules for AI use in lethal weapon systems. They argue that this is necessary to prevent the misuse of AI for mass surveillance and ensure constitutional limits.
The standoff between the Pentagon and Anthropic has sparked concerns about the potential consequences, including losing access to Claude or being labeled a “supply chain risk.” Lawmakers are seeking to balance the need for national security with the need for responsible regulation.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2026/02/26/anthropic-pentagon-ultamatim-congress-deadline