Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has asked a US federal appeals court to reconsider its decision upholding the Pentagon’s move to designate the company as a national security supply-chain risk, escalating a legal dispute over the military use of AI and the safety restrictions imposed on the technology.
The petition, filed on October 13, challenges a September ruling by a divided panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The earlier decision allowed the US Department of Defense to maintain its designation of Anthropic, the developer of the Claude AI models.
Anthropic argues that the Pentagon’s action was linked to the company’s refusal to permit its AI systems to be used for mass surveillance of Americans or lethal autonomous warfare. The Defense Department has maintained that its concerns relate to national security and the potential effect of the company’s restrictions on military operations.
Anthropic Challenges September Court Ruling
In September, a three-judge appeals panel ruled 2–1 in favour of upholding the Pentagon’s designation. The majority accepted the department’s position that Anthropic’s restrictions on how its AI technology could be used raised concerns about the government’s ability to deploy the systems for defence purposes.
Anthropic is now asking the court to rehear the case. Its legal challenge argues that the designation improperly applies federal supply-chain security powers and that the court did not adequately address the company’s claim that the action was retaliatory.
A request for rehearing does not automatically overturn the previous decision. The court must decide whether to reconsider the case, and the existing ruling remains an important part of the legal dispute unless it is changed through further proceedings.
Dispute Centres on AI Safety Guardrails
The conflict developed after negotiations over the use of Anthropic’s Claude models in US military and government work. Anthropic has maintained that its systems should not be used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons capable of making lethal decisions without appropriate human control.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, has argued that the military must retain sufficient flexibility to use contracted AI technology for national defence. The disagreement has raised broader questions about how much control AI developers can retain over the use of their products after entering government contracts.
The case also highlights a difficult policy question: how should the government balance military requirements with safeguards that private AI companies consider essential to responsible deployment?
Blacklisting Has Business Implications
The Pentagon’s designation restricts Anthropic’s participation in certain defence-related work and affects how contractors can use its AI systems in projects connected to the department.
Anthropic has said the restrictions have cost it billions of dollars in potential business and harmed its reputation. The company’s financial impact claims are its own estimates and should be distinguished from independently verified losses.
The dispute is particularly significant as major AI developers compete for government contracts and investment. A prolonged legal battle could influence how technology companies negotiate safety requirements, contract terms and access to sensitive government work.
A Separate Court Case Adds Complexity
The legal dispute has involved proceedings under different federal laws. In August, a federal judge in California ruled against a separate designation affecting Anthropic, finding that the administration’s action under the law at issue was unlawful.
That ruling did not resolve every aspect of the Pentagon dispute. The September appeals decision concerning the separate supply-chain risk designation upheld the Pentagon’s position under a different legal framework.
The distinction is important because court decisions in one case do not necessarily remove restrictions imposed under another statute.
What Happens Next?
The immediate question is whether the D.C. Circuit will agree to rehear Anthropic’s challenge. If the court accepts the request, further proceedings could examine the scope of the government’s authority to designate suppliers as national security risks and the legal arguments raised by the AI company.
Until the court takes further action, the September ruling remains in place. The outcome could have implications for government procurement, AI safety policies and the ability of technology companies to set limits on military uses of their systems.
