Anthropic Rejects Latest Pentagon Offer, Escalating AI Feud

Anthropic Rejects Pentagon's Latest Offer

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By Maggie Eastland and Katrina Manson

February 26, 2026 at 10:56 PM UTC

Updated on

February 27, 2026 at 5:44 AM UTC

Anthropic PBC rejected the Pentagon’s latest offer in a dispute over safeguards around the use of its artificial intelligence technology by the US military, escalating the standoff a day before a government deadline for the company to drop its restrictions or face severe consequences.

“These threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request,” Anthropic Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei said in a statement Thursday.