Microsoft and retired military chiefs back AI company Anthropic in court fight against Pentagon

Microsoft and a group of retired military leaders are throwing their weight behind Anthropic in asking a federal court to block the Trump administration's designation of the artificial intelligence company as a supply chain risk.

Microsoft, in a legal filing, is challenging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's action last week to shut Anthropic out of military work by labeling its AI products as posing a threat to national security.

So are a group of 22 former high-ranking U.S. military officials, some of whom were secretaries of the Air Force, Army and Navy and a head of the Coast Guard. They allege in their own court filing that Hegseth's actions are a misuse of government authority for “retribution against a private company that has displeased the leadership.”

The Pentagon took the action against Anthropic after an unusually public dispute over the company's refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its AI model Claude. President Donald Trump also said he was ordering all federal agencies to stop using Claude.

“The use of a supply chain risk designation to address a contract dispute may bring severe economic effects that are not in the public interest,” Microsoft, a major government contractor, said in its Tuesday filing in the San Francisco federal court, where Anthropic sued the Trump administration on Monday.

The Pentagon's action “forces government contractors to comply with vague and ill-defined directions that have never before been publicly wielded against a U.S. company,” Microsoft's legal brief says.

It asks for a judge to order a temporary lifting of the designation to allow for more “reasoned discussion” between Anthropic and the Trump administration.

The Pentagon declined to comment, saying it does not remark on matters in litigation.

Microsoft's filing also expressed support for Anthropic's two ethical red lines that were a sticking point in the contract negotiations after the Pentagon insisted the company must allow for “all lawful” uses of its AI.

“Microsoft also believes that American AI should not be used to conduct domestic mass surveillance or start a war without human control,” the company said. “This position is consistent with the law and broadly supported by American society, as the government acknowledges.”

The software giant's court filing followed others supporting Anthropic, including one from a group of AI developers at Google and OpenAI, and another from a group of organizations such as the Cato Institute and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

A fourth such filing came from the group of retired military chiefs that includes former CIA director Michael Hayden, who's also a retired Air Force general, and retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who led the government response to Hurricane Katrina.

“Far from protecting U.S. national security, the Secretary’s conduct here threatens the rule-of-law principles that have long strengthened our military,” said their filing.

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin is presiding over the case in federal court in San Francisco, where Anthropic is headquartered. Anthropic has also filed a separate and more narrow case in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C.

Lin, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden in 2022, has scheduled a March 24 hearing.

Neither legal filing mentions the war in Iran, which started shortly after Trump and Hegseth announced they were punishing Anthropic, but the ex-military officials warn that the “sudden uncertainty” of targeting a technology widely embedded in military platforms could disrupt planning and put soldiers at risk during ongoing operations.

The current commander of U.S. Central command confirmed in a video posted to social media Wednesday about U.S. strikes on Iran that the military was using “advanced AI tools” to “sift through vast amounts of data in seconds,” though he didn't specifically name which tools.

Adm. Brad Cooper said these AI tools are enabling leaders to make smarter decisions faster but stressed that “humans will always make final decisions on what to shoot and what not to shoot and when to shoot.”

Anthropic was, until recently, the only one of its peers approved for use in classified military networks. But as a result of the dispute, military officials have said they're looking to shift that work to competitors Google, OpenAI and Elon Musk's xAI.

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AP writer Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.

Pages from the Anthropic website and the company's logo are displayed on a computer screen in New York on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)

The Atlanta Falcons have declared Kirk Cousins will be a salary cap cut. Kyler Murray has been informed of his impending release by the Arizona Cardinals.

Beyond them, well, the landscape of available quarterbacks looks quite barren for NFL teams seeking the next Sam Darnold success story in free agency. Trade candidates among proven starters appear to be even more scarce. For the handful of clubs at a crossroad or committed to starting over this offseason, the timing is hardly ideal.

The rookie class thins quickly after Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the consensus projection to be taken first overall in the April draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, so going the Drake Maye route to a Super Bowl probably won't happen anytime soon.

After eating more than $99 million in dead money on their salary cap by deciding to cut Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins snatched up the most sought-after free agent. They gave former Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis a reported $45 million guaranteed over three years in a deal that will quickly allow the 26-year-old with just 155 career attempts to cash in even bigger if he can establish himself as a productive and reliable starter.

The New York Jets were concerned enough about competition for Geno Smith if he were released and on the market that they acquired him in a trade with the Raiders. Any chance of Daniel Jones being available ended when the Indianapolis Colts tore up the transition tag and reached an agreement on Wednesday on a two-year deal worth up to $100 million despite him coming off an Achilles tendon injury that cut short his 2025 season.

Tagovailoa? He’s already decided to join the Falcons.

The Minnesota Vikings, who were the originators of the Darnold plan in 2024 before they let him leave last year for the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, have been widely linked to Murray as they try to diversify their present and future path after pinning their plan last season on J.J. McCarthy and missing the playoffs after he struggled with injuries and inconsistency.

Here's a closer look at the most viable remaining options:

The Falcons announced last month they will cut him and fully pivot toward 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr., whose knee injury last year gave Cousins the job back. His familiarity with the Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell's system could make sense for a reunion. Cousins, who turns 38 before the season, would be a realistic bridge starter to give 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy more time to develop, but Cousins has never signed a bargain contract.

Limited to five games by a foot injury last season as the Cardinals slumped to 3-14, Murray will cost them more than $54 million in dead money. He'll also make more than $36 million in real money from the Cardinals, no matter where he winds up, because his 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. Offset language in his contract allows his new team to sign him for the veteran minimum. Murray, the first overall pick in the 2019 draft, has not won more than nine games in a single season — or any in the playoffs.

Aaron Rodgers at age 42 appears unlikely to switch teams again, as a reunion with coach Mike McCarthy presents an attractive alternative to retirement if the Steelers were to decide to bring him back. Perhaps Rodgers would get another call from the Vikings if their other options dry up.

Minnesota might also find it worth trying to pry backup Mac Jones, the former New England Patriots starter, away from the San Francisco 49ers in a trade.

Jimmy Garoppolo? He’s available, but he hasn’t started a meaningful game in three years. Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft is too, but he has 12 career wins.

Though Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have hit some bumps in the road together, the two-time NFL MVP is on track for a new deal. He wouldn’t have had a voice in the coaching search if the Ravens were considering a trade.

“I have spoken to Lamar about a lot of different things over the last month,” general manager Eric DeCosta said last month. “He’s been very engaged.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

FILE - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) walks off the field after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik, File)

FILE - Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Oct. 5, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)