Microsoft and a coalition of 22 retired high-ranking U.S. military officials have filed legal briefs supporting AI firm Anthropic in its dispute with the Pentagon. The Trump administration designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk, effectively barring it from military contracts after the company refused to allow unrestricted use of its AI model, Claude.
In a filing on Tuesday in San Francisco federal court, Microsoft argued that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's action was a misuse of government authority and forced contractors to comply with vague directions. The company seeks a temporary lifting of the designation to allow for reasoned discussion between Anthropic and the administration.
The retired military chiefs, including former CIA director Michael Hayden and former Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, alleged that Hegseth's conduct constituted retribution against a private company and threatened rule-of-law principles. They warned that sudden uncertainty over technology embedded in military platforms could endanger soldiers during ongoing operations, including strikes on Iran.
Anthropic had been the only AI firm approved for use in classified military networks, but officials are now reportedly shifting work to competitors like Google, OpenAI, and xAI. The Pentagon declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin has scheduled a March 24 hearing.
