Google and OpenAI Employees Support Anthropic Against Trump Administration
Hundreds of employees from Google and OpenAI have expressed their support for Anthropic in a public letter. This comes amidst increasing pressure from the U.S. government regarding Anthropic’s artificial intelligence (AI) usage. The Pentagon has imposed an ultimatum on Anthropic, demanding they lift restrictions around military applications of their technology.
Government Pressure on Anthropic
The U.S. Department of Defense issued an ultimatum to Anthropic to change its stance by Friday at 5:01 PM. This demand stems from the company’s $200 million contract signed in June, wherein Anthropic provides their AI models extensively used by the Pentagon. However, Anthropic has firmly denied the Pentagon’s request to enable mass surveillance and automate lethal attacks.
Significant Company Decisions
According to government officials, lifting these restrictions is necessary for lawful use of their AI models. A frustrating meeting took place recently between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Following this, the government threatened sanctions if Anthropic did not comply.
- The Pentagon seeks to enforce compliance through a 1950 national security law.
- Anthropic faces potential inclusion on a list of “at-risk” companies.
- This list contains firms whose services may counter U.S. national security interests.
Employee Support for Anthropic
On Friday, the letter backing Anthropic was signed by 366 Google employees and 70 OpenAI employees. They urged their leaders to unify against the Pentagon’s demands. The letter emphasized the need for solidarity in maintaining ethical practices in AI development.
Industry Reactions
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, expressed on CNBC that the Pentagon should not threaten enforcement of past laws against Anthropic. The Wall Street Journal reported that he is internally seeking a resolution for this issue, potentially involving OpenAI’s AI models. Nonetheless, he reiterated that mass surveillance and the automation of lethal strikes are non-negotiable for OpenAI, mirroring Anthropic’s commitment.
In addition to Google and OpenAI employees, unions from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google also rallied in support of Anthropic. They called on their employers to reject the Pentagon’s requests, highlighting a collective stance across the tech industry.
