Anthropic CEO apologises for 'tone' in leaked message criticising Trump administration

Dario Amodei apologiaed for a leaked internal memo targeting the Trump administration's decision to label Anthropic a supply chain risk.

"It was a tough day for us, and I apologize for the tone of that message. It does not represent my thorough or considered opinions. It was also created six days prior and doesn't reflect the current circumstances," Amodei stated in a Thursday announcement made public on Anthropic's website.

He clarified that Anthropic did not release the post or request others to do so, emphasising that the company's "top priority now is ensuring our military and national security officials have the necessary tools during critical military engagements."

Amodei mentioned that Anthropic has had "constructive dialogue" with the Defense Department "about how we might support the Department within our two specific exceptions, and ways to facilitate a seamless transition if needed."

Nonetheless, Emil Michael, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, commented in a post on X on Thursday that the Department of War is not in talks with the AI company.

The Pentagon on Thursday notified Anthropic that "the company and its products pose a supply chain risk, with immediate effect." 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned that this status indicates companies with defense contracts are essentially restricted from engaging with the AI business.

This designation follows a disagreement between Anthropic and the Pentagon over potential uses of the company's Claude models. 

Anthropic has stated it will not authorise its technology for extensive domestic surveillance or completely autonomous weaponry.

Amodei stated the company plans to contest the Pentagon's ruling in court.

In the leaked memo to Anthropic staff acquired by The Information, Amodei claimed the Trump administration resisted the company due to a lack of contributions to the president or offering the "dictator-style" commendation he noted competitors gave.

During an interview with The Economist published on Friday, Amodei apologised for the message, saying he would not classify it as a formal memo.

"I frequently post on Slack—it’s quite casual and doesn’t always reflect careful, polished thinking on my part. It’s not what I would say upon reflection," he shared.