U.S. Treasury Secretary Besent on AI, Anthropic: will have out of U.S. system in several days

U.S. Treasury Secretary Besent on AI, Anthropic: will have out of U.S. system in several days

U.S. Treasury to Remove Anthropic AI Tools from Government Systems Amid National Security Review

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on March 2 that the department will terminate all use of artificial intelligence tools developed by Anthropic, including its Claude platform, citing national security concerns and operational priorities. The decision follows a directive from President Donald Trump, who ordered federal agencies to discontinue use of Anthropic’s technology after the Department of War designated the company a "supply chain risk." Bessent emphasized that government tools must "serve the public interest" and stated that private companies "will never dictate the terms of our national security."

The Treasury's move reflects a broader government effort to reassess AI partnerships. Anthropic, a San Francisco-based AI firm, had previously drawn scrutiny for restricting how its models could be used by federal agencies. The company maintained policies prohibiting deployment in fully autonomous weapons systems or mass surveillance programs—positions the Pentagon argued limited operational flexibility. After Anthropic refused to revise these safeguards, the White House initiated the blacklisting process.

The Treasury did not specify a detailed timeline for phasing out Anthropic's tools but indicated the transition would occur "in several days." Some agencies, including the State Department, have already begun adopting OpenAI's technology as an alternative. OpenAI recently finalized a classified network agreement with the Pentagon, incorporating similar restrictions on domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons, though it has emphasized stronger safeguards than Anthropic's prior terms.

Anthropic has criticized the government's actions as "retaliatory and punitive" and plans to challenge the supply chain risk designation in court. The company maintains that its policies align with democratic values and civil liberties, even as it faces potential exclusion from defense contracts.

The dispute underscores intensifying debates over AI governance, with implications for federal technology procurement and the competitive landscape of AI firms. Analysts note that the shift could accelerate adoption of alternatives like OpenAI while raising questions about balancing innovation with ethical and security considerations.

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