Lockheed Martin to Remove Anthropic AI After Trump Ban

On March 4, 2026, following an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump banning the use of technology from artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic across all federal agencies, major U.S. defense contractors are being forced to respond. Notably, leading defense firm Lockheed Martin has announced its intention to completely remove Anthropic's AI models from its supply chain within the next six months. This move has reignited the debate over the use and ethics of AI technology within the U.S. defense industry.

The backdrop to this decision is Anthropic's refusal to allow its AI technology to be used for military applications, particularly in areas such as "large-scale surveillance" and "fully autonomous weapons." The company has consistently maintained a strong stance on the ethical use of AI and did not comply with the Department of Defense's request to relax these restrictions. In response, President Trump took the drastic step of excluding Anthropic's technology from federal procurement, citing it as a "threat to national security." The executive order specifies a six-month transition period during which a shift to alternative technologies is required.

This decision has had a significant impact on many defense-related companies, including Lockheed Martin. These firms have been utilizing Anthropic's advanced AI models in various fields such as data analysis, simulation, and supply chain management. The exclusion order now forces these companies to secure alternative AI technologies and face the challenges of associated system modifications and retraining. The impact across the entire defense supply chain is expected to be substantial, with concerns about project delays and increased costs.

Meanwhile, Anthropic has strongly criticized the executive order as being "based on a misunderstanding of technological progress and ethical principles," and has indicated that it is considering legal action. The company continues to emphasize the importance of guidelines for the safe development and use of AI, warning that this decision could undermine America's international leadership in the AI development race. This issue extends beyond the exclusion of a single company and is likely to have a major impact on future U.S. AI policy and the relationship between technology companies and the government.