The White House met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Friday, describing the discussion as "productive and constructive" amid ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the artificial intelligence company.
The meeting, first reported by Axios, included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. It comes one week after Anthropic released its Claude Mythos preview, an AI tool the company says can outperform humans at certain cybersecurity and hacking tasks.
The meeting marks a notable shift in tone from the White House, which two months ago had publicly labeled Anthropic a "radical left, woke company" amid an escalating legal dispute with the Department of Defense.
Anthropic is currently suing the Pentagon over a "supply chain risk" designation that bars the company from certain government contracts. The firm argues the label, which was applied for the first time to a US company, amounts to retaliation by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after CEO Amodei refused to grant the Pentagon unfettered access to its AI tools.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive advocates and civil liberties groups have sided with Anthropic in its legal battle, arguing the company's refusal to provide unfettered access to its AI tools reflects responsible corporate governance.
The company has raised concerns that its technology could be used for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons systems. In court filings, Anthropic argued the supply chain risk designation was retaliation for its refusal to compromise on AI safety principles.
Technology policy advocates have noted that the meeting indicates even an administration skeptical of Anthropic recognizes the company's technology is too important to fully exclude from government use. Amodei said last week the company had "spoken to officials across the US government" about potential collaboration.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative critics have maintained a hard line against Anthropic, echoing former President Trump's characterization of the company as run by "left wing nut jobs" who were attempting to "strong arm" defense officials.
When Trump directed agencies to stop using Anthropic, he wrote on social media: "We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again!" The president told reporters Friday he had "no idea" about the meeting when asked about it.
Some defense hawks have expressed concern that Mythos, which can find vulnerabilities in decades-old code and autonomously exploit them, represents a dual-use technology that could pose national security risks if placed in the wrong hands. Only a few dozen companies have been given access to the preview so far.
What the Numbers Show
Anthropic's Mythos model was released one week ago. Researchers who have tested the preview say it is "strikingly capable at computer security tasks." The tool can identify bugs in legacy code systems and autonomously find ways to exploit them, according to the company.
A federal court in California has largely sided with Anthropic in its lawsuit challenging the supply chain risk designation. However, a federal appeals court has denied the firm's request to temporarily block the designation while litigation continues.
Despite the legal dispute and government designation, Anthropic's tools remain in use at many of the government agencies that had been using them before the designation, according to court records. The company has provided AI services to high-level government and military clients since 2024.
The Bottom Line
Friday's meeting signals that despite the Trump administration's public hostility toward Anthropic, the company's AI capabilities are considered strategically important. The White House statement said officials "explored the balance between advancing innovation and ensuring safety" in discussions.
The meeting comes as Anthropic navigates an unprecedented legal battle over its classification as a supply chain risk — the first company ever to receive such a designation. The outcome of ongoing litigation could set precedent for how AI companies interact with federal defense agencies.
What to watch: Whether Friday's meeting leads to any formal collaboration framework between Anthropic and the administration, and how the federal appeals court rules on the company's request to block the supply chain risk designation permanently.