Anthropic is gaining more allies in its legal battle with the U.S. Department of Defense. The conflict escalated last month when the DoD labeled the AI lab a supply-chain risk, a move that followed Anthropic's refusal to compromise on potential military applications for its artificial intelligence.

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In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) characterized the Pentagon's decision as "retaliation." She argued, as reported by CNBC, that the DoD could have simply ended its contract with Anthropic instead. "I am particularly concerned that the DoD is trying to strong-arm American companies into providing the Department with the tools to spy on American citizens and deploy fully autonomous weapons without adequate safeguards," Warren wrote, stating that barring Anthropic "appears to be retaliation."

This sentiment is shared by a growing coalition. Multiple tech companies—including employees from OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft—along with civil rights groups have filed legal briefs supporting Anthropic. They criticize the DoD's designation, a label typically reserved for foreign adversaries, not American firms.

The core disagreement stems from Anthropic's stance on ethical use. The company informed the Pentagon that it did not want its AI systems utilized for mass surveillance of U.S. citizens. It also stated the technology was not sufficiently developed for use in targeting or firing decisions for lethal autonomous weapons without human oversight. The Pentagon countered that a private company should not dictate military usage of technology and subsequently applied the "supply-chain risk" tag.

This designation has significant consequences. It requires any entity working with the Pentagon to certify it does not use Anthropic's products or services, effectively blocking the AI lab from collaborating with any company that also has U.S. government contracts.

Warren's letter arrived just before a crucial hearing in San Francisco. On Tuesday, District Judge Rita Lin will consider whether to grant Anthropic a preliminary injunction to maintain the current situation while its lawsuit against the DoD proceeds.

Anthropic's lawsuit alleges the DoD violated its First Amendment rights and punished the company on ideological grounds. The Defense Department maintains that Anthropic's refusal to permit all lawful military uses was a business decision, not protected speech, and that the designation was a national security measure, not a punishment.

In recent court filings, Anthropic submitted two declarations arguing the government's rationale is flawed, relying on technical misunderstandings and concerns not raised during initial negotiations.

In a related move, Senator Warren has also written to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, seeking details about his company's agreement with the DoD. This inquiry came just one day after the Pentagon blacklisted Anthropic.

Both Anthropic and the Defense Department have not yet responded to requests for comment on these developments.