Pentagon AI Chief Blasts Anthropic's 'Politburo' of Ethicists
Emil Michael accuses Anthropic of media leaks to court anti-Trump users and slams its slow-moving ethics oversight.
Pentagon AI head Emil Michael isn't holding back. In a wide-ranging Pirate Wires interview, he torched Anthropic for what he calls deliberate media leaks designed to win favor with anti-Trump users.
Michael took particular aim at Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and the company's internal ethics apparatus, which he derisively dubbed a "politburo" — a slow-moving committee of ethicists that he says has frustrated the administration's AI agenda.
The tension highlights a growing rift between the current administration's push to accelerate AI deployment and Anthropic's safety-first posture. Michael suggested the company's public blog posts and media strategy are calculated political moves rather than genuine safety concerns.
Despite the friction, the Pentagon continues engaging with Anthropic. But Michael's comments signal that patience with the company's deliberative approach is wearing thin at the highest levels of defense AI leadership.