SAN FRANCISCO, March 26 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Pentagon from labeling AI company Anthropic a "supply chain risk," issuing a preliminary injunction that put the move on hold.
Judge Rita Lin of the District Court for the Northern District of California said she was also blocking U.S. President Donald Trump's directive ordering all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's technology.
The actions pause the government's ban until the court rules on the merits of the case, but will not take effect for seven days to give the administration time to appeal.
Anthropic sued the Trump administration earlier this month after the Pentagon designated the company a "supply chain risk to national security" as it refused to give the government unfettered access to its AI models without safeguards against use in autonomous weapons or mass surveillance.
"Punishing Anthropic for bringing public scrutiny to the government's contracting position is classic illegal First Amendment retaliation," Lin wrote in the ruling.
"Nothing in the governing statute supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary and saboteur of the U.S. for expressing disagreement with the government," she added.
Applauding the judge's decision, Anthropic said that it was "grateful to the court for moving swiftly, and pleased they agree Anthropic is likely to succeed on the merits."
"While this case was necessary to protect Anthropic, our customers, and our partners, our focus remains on working productively with the government to ensure all Americans benefit from safe, reliable AI," a spokesperson said in a statement.
Anthropic has another lawsuit pending in Washington, D.C., over a separate Pentagon supply-chain risk designation that could bar it from civilian government contracts. ■