More than 30 employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind filed a legal statement supporting Anthropic in its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense. The brief challenges the Pentagon’s recent decision to label Anthropic a supply-chain risk after the company refused to allow its AI models to be used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons.
The filing, which includes signatories such as Jeff Dean, argues that the designation represents an improper use of government authority with broad consequences for the artificial intelligence industry. Researchers warned that punitive actions against a major U.S. AI developer could undermine national competitiveness and discourage open discussion about AI safety.
Anthropic recently filed two lawsuits contesting the designation. The Pentagon had maintained that government agencies should be able to use AI systems for any lawful purpose, while the company insisted on contractual safeguards to prevent misuse of its models.
The case has intensified debate across the AI sector about the balance between national security priorities and developer-imposed guardrails designed to limit high-risk applications of advanced AI systems.
