London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has extended an invitation to the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic, urging it to expand its operations within the city. This invitation comes amid criticism directed at the Trump administration for its actions against the firm.
In a letter addressed to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Mayor Khan expressed concern over the Pentagon’s recent designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk. This designation followed Amodei’s refusal to grant U.S. defense agencies unrestricted access to the company’s AI tools.
„It is extremely concerning to see this kind of behavior, which is a clear attempt to intimidate and punish Anthropic for refusing to remove ethical safeguards,“
Khan stated in his correspondence.
In response to the Pentagon’s actions, Anthropic has announced plans to contest the designation in court. When questioned about the mayor’s invitation, a White House spokesperson reiterated President Trump’s stance, stating,
„As President Trump said, we will never allow a radical left, woke company to dictate how our United States Military fights wars.“
The Mayor’s office has confirmed that discussions have taken place this week with senior leaders from Anthropic. During a conversation with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Amodei expressed concerns regarding the potential use of Anthropic’s Claude model for mass domestic surveillance or autonomous military targeting.
The Pentagon has maintained that the military must utilize technology for all lawful purposes, asserting that the feared applications would violate legal standards and are not part of their plans.
Last week, President Trump announced that he would instruct every federal agency to cease using technology developed by Anthropic. In his letter, Mayor Khan commended Amodei for his resilience in the face of such pressure, stating,
„I applaud your steadfastness in the face of such pressure. [I]t would be good to discuss how we could support you to expand operations further.“
Khan emphasized that London could serve as a more significant location and platform for Anthropic’s future endeavors. His invitation may position London as a viable alternative for the company as its relationship with the U.S. government continues to deteriorate.
Anthropic had previously been in negotiations with the Department of Defense; however, Under Secretary of Defense Emil Michael announced on Thursday that those discussions had been terminated.
„I want to end all speculation: there is no active [Department of War] negotiation with [Anthropic],“
Michael stated on X.
The Pentagon’s designation marks the first instance in which a U.S. company has been labeled a supply chain risk, indicating that the government deems Anthropic insufficiently secure for its use.
Initially, there were concerns within Anthropic that this designation could jeopardize its business relationships with partners that also engage with the U.S. government. However, these fears have not materialized as anticipated.
On Thursday, technology giant Microsoft announced its intention to continue integrating Anthropic technology into its products for clients, with the exception of the U.S. Department of Defense.
„Our lawyers have studied the designation and have concluded that Anthropic products, including Claude, can remain available to our customers,“
Microsoft stated in a Thursday announcement.
As the situation unfolds, the implications for both Anthropic and the broader AI landscape remain to be seen.
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