The growing clash between the U.S. Department of Defense and artificial intelligence company Anthropic has entered a decisive moment. At the center of the standoff is Pete Hegseth, who has delivered a firm deadline to the San Francisco–based AI startup.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic until Friday at 5 p.m. to grant the military unresticted use of its AI technology.

The Pentagon wants Anthropic to remove limits on AI use for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, raising civil liberties concerns.

In what appears to be preparations to fully blacklist Anthropic for not budging on their acceptable use policies, the Defense Department has begun reaching out to contractors to assess their exposure to the AI company’s products.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has set a Friday deadline for the company to grant full lawful AI to military access or risk losing its $200 million contract and being labeled a supply chain risk.

Pentagon gives Anthropic until Friday to remove military restrictions on Claude AI model or face contract termination and Defense Production Act.

Anthropic insists on limits on how its technology is used and could be labeled a supply chain risk if it fails to accept the military’s demands.

The Pentagon warned it could cancel Anthropic's contract, designate it a supply chain risk or invoke the Defense Production Act if the company doesn't comply by Friday.

Over the last week, tensions between the Pentagon and artificial intelligence giant Anthropic have reached a boiling point.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pressuring Anthropic to give the military broader access to its artificial intelligence technology or lose its Pentagon contract