OpenAI and Google employees rush to Anthropic’s defense in DOD lawsuit

More than 30 employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind filed a court statement supporting Anthropic in a lawsuit against the U.S. Defense Department, which labeled the AI company a supply-chain risk after Anthropic refused to let the Pentagon use its technology for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. The employees argue that the Pentagon could have simply canceled its contract with Anthropic and purchased from another AI company instead of designating it as a supply-chain risk, a label typically reserved for foreign adversaries. They contend that if the government is allowed to punish Anthropic this way, it will harm U.S. competitiveness in AI and discourage open discussion about the risks of AI systems.