AI firm Anthropic sues US defense department over blacklisting
Anthropic filed two lawsuits against the Department of Defense on Monday, alleging that the government’s decision to label the artificial intelligence firm a “supply chain risk” was unlawful and violated its first amendment rights.The two sides have been locked in a monthslong heated feud over the company’s attempt to implement safeguards against the military’s potential use of its AI models for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous lethal weapons.The lawsuits, which Anthropic filed in the northern district court of California and the US court of appeals for the Washington DC Circuit, come after the Pentagon formally issued the supply chain risk designation last Thursday, the first time the blacklisting tool has been used against a US company.The AI firm previously vowed to challenge the designation and its demand that any company that does business with the government cut all ties with Anthropic, a serious threat to its business model.Anthropic’s lawsuit contends that the Trump administration is punishing the company for its refusal to comply with the ideological demands of the government, in a violation of its protected speech and an attempt to punish the company for not complying.
“These actions are unprecedented and unlawful.The constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech,” Anthropic stated in its California lawsuit.Anthropic’s AI model, called Claude, has been deeply integrated into the Department of Defense over the past year.Until recently, Claude was also the only AI model approved for use in classified systems.The DoD has reportedly used it extensively in its military operations, including deciding where to target missile strikes in its war against Iran.
Anthropic emphasized in its lawsuit that it was still committed to providing AI for national security purposes.The company also stated in its California lawsuit that it had previously collaborated with the DoD to modify its systems for unique use cases.The company also wants to continue its negotiations with the government, according to a statement.“Seeking judicial review does not change our longstanding commitment to harnessing AI to protect our national security, but this is a necessary step to protect our business, our customers and our partners,” a spokesperson for Anthropic said in a statement to the Guardian.“We will continue to pursue every path toward resolution, including dialogue with the government.
”The AI firm alleged in the suit that the Trump administration and Pentagon’s punitive actions were “harming Anthropic irreparably”, an accusation that somewhat contradicts Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s CEO, telling CBS News last week that “the impact of this designation is fairly small” and the company was “gonna be fine”.“Defendants are seeking to destroy the economic value created by one of the world’s fastest-growing private companies, which is a leader in responsibly developing an emergent technology of vital significance to our Nation,” Anthropic alleged in its suit.The DoD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dominant Lossiemouth a winner as Cheltenham puts civil war on hold
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Holding out for a Hero? How cricket’s Hundred auction works and who is available
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Neil Simpson wins first Great Britain medal at Winter Paralympics with skiing silver
Great Britain won their first medal of the Winter Paralympics on Tuesday as Neil Simpson imposed himself on a stacked field to claim silver in the men’s visually impaired alpine combined.Finishing second behind the home favourite Giacomo Bertagnolli, but ahead of Austria’s Johannes Aigner, who has won two gold medals at these Games, Simpson found the form the British team had been hoping for as he recorded a leading time in the final slalom race to pull himself up from fourth place in the standings.Tension had been rising inside ParalympicsGB after the first three days of competition saw British athletes repeatedly fall short, including Simpson who came fourth in the downhill on Monday after winning gold in Beijing four years ago. Earlier on Tuesday there had been further disappointment when Menna Fitzpatrick came last in the women’s VI combined. But with Britain now on the board thanks to the 23-year-old Simpson, there will be renewed confidence going into the remainder of the week
Cheltenham festival day two: L’Eau Du Sud can edge Majborough in Champion Chase
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Ladies Day returns to Cheltenham festival promising ‘glamour and glory’
First and foremost, it is a huge sporting event, billed by its fans as the Olympics of jump racing – but it can also act as a social barometer, giving clues as to the state and mood of the nation.This year’s Cheltenham festival, which began on Tuesday, feels a little like a step back in time with the return of “Ladies Day” after a five-year hiatus and a reduction in the price of a pint.In 2024, a decision by the Jockey Club, which owns the racecourse, to launch a unisex “Style Wednesday” on what used to be Ladies Day was labelled “woke” by some rightwing commentators.The Jockey Club persisted with the free-for-all last year but this time Ladies Day is back and billed as a celebration of “glamour and glory”.There will be prizes for the best-dressed individual, duo and group, and the former jump jockey champion Rachael Blackmore has been appointed “head of Ladies Day”
England recall Ollie Chessum for France game as Borthwick fights for his future
Steve Borthwick has insisted the Rugby Football Union’s vote of confidence has not put him on notice and that he is ready to fight for his future when he reviews England’s Six Nations campaign with the chief executive, Bill Sweeney.Borthwick has recalled Ollie Chessum to his starting lineup for the daunting trip to France on Saturday but otherwise kept faith with the underfire players who suffered England’s first defeat by Italy last weekend. The head coach has also made it clear that he expects his senior leaders – Maro Itoje, Ellis Genge and Jamie George – to step up in Paris as England seek to avoid their worst Six Nations campaign.After the defeat last Saturday, Sweeney took unprecedented action when issuing a statement before the championship was over, offering Borthwick qualified support but making clear improvements were needed against France as well as in the summer Nations Championship fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina.The RFU also demanded “open” dialogue with Borthwick and his coaches in the coming weeks and will hold what is sure to be an uncomfortable review in an attempt to address England’s rapid decline
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