US judge blocks Pentagon blacklisting of AI firm Anthropic

A United States judge has blocked the Pentagon's blacklisting of technology company Anthropic. In a 59-page written order issued on Thursday night, District Judge Rita Lin ruled that the Department of Defense had acted illegally when it designated the company a supply chain risk to national security. The government is expected to fight the ruling. The judge's order rebuked the Pentagon, saying it had targeted and punished Anthropic for the company's public criticism of the Defense Department's stance on AI deployment on the battlefield. "The empty invocation of national security is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics," Lin, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, wrote.