Pentagon Labels Anthropic a Supply-Chain Risk After CEO's Criticism

The move comes just days after Anthropic's CEO accused rival OpenAI and the Pentagon of "straight up lies" about the company's dispute with the government.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The Pentagon has officially notified Anthropic that the AI firm and its products, including the chatbot Claude, will be labeled a supply-chain risk. This comes just days after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei circulated a letter to staffers criticizing the Trump administration's efforts against the company and accusing rival OpenAI and the Pentagon of spreading "mendacious" information about Anthropic.

Why it matters

The Pentagon's designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk could potentially ban any organization working with the military from partnering with the company, potentially impacting investors like Lockheed Martin, Amazon, and Google. This is one of the first times an American company will be slapped with this label, which raises concerns about the government's targeting of Anthropic over its opposition to the White House's AI agenda.

The details

The Department of War formally notified Anthropic executives that the company and its AI tools pose serious security risks. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has argued that the exceptions Anthropic is seeking are too restrictive, insisting the Pentagon should be allowed to use Anthropic's AI for "all lawful purposes." Amodei was reportedly in talks with the War Department's undersecretary as a "last-ditch effort" to reach a contract, just days after accusing OpenAI of spreading "straight up lies" about Anthropic's dispute with the government.

  • On March 2, 2026, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei circulated a letter to staffers criticizing the Trump administration's efforts against the company.
  • On March 5, 2026, the Pentagon formally notified Anthropic that it will be labeled a supply-chain risk.

The players

Dario Amodei

The CEO of Anthropic, an AI firm that has been labeled a supply-chain risk by the Pentagon.

Pete Hegseth

The Secretary of War, who has argued that the exceptions Anthropic is seeking are too restrictive.

Emil Michael

The War Department's undersecretary for research and engineering, who was in talks with Amodei as part of a "last-ditch effort" to reach a contract.

Greg Brockman

The president of OpenAI, a rival AI company that Amodei accused of spreading "mendacious" information about Anthropic.

Anthropic

An AI firm that has been officially labeled a supply-chain risk by the Pentagon.

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What they’re saying

“The government is supposed to be more powerful than private companies. It's bad for society if companies start abandoning their commitment to the democratic process because some people don't like the person or people currently in charge.”

— Greg Brockman, President, OpenAI (Morgan Stanley technology conference)

“I want to be very clear on the messaging that is coming from OpenAI, and the mendacious nature of it. A lot of OpenAI and [Department of War] messaging just straight up lies about these issues or tries to confuse them.”

— Dario Amodei, CEO, Anthropic (Internal memo to Anthropic staff)

What’s next

Anthropic is reportedly in a "last-ditch effort" to reach a contract with the War Department, but it remains to be seen if the company can avoid being officially designated a supply-chain risk.

The takeaway

The Pentagon's labeling of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk highlights the growing tensions between the government and private tech companies, particularly those that have opposed the White House's AI agenda. This move could have significant implications for Anthropic's business and partnerships, underscoring the high stakes in the battle over the regulation and use of AI technology.