Nine To Noon Tech: Microsoft sides with Anthropic
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Mar 11, 2026 Peter Griffin, technology writer and commentator, breaks down Microsoft's decision to side with Anthropic and its ripple effects. He discusses the Pentagon contract fallout, Microsoft's court filing and Azure ties. He also explores AI use in military intelligence, concerns about autonomous weapons and surveillance, and the sustainability challenges of growing data centres.
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Anthropic Sued After Pentagon Contract Cancellation
- The US designated Anthropic as a supply-chain risk and canceled its Pentagon contract for refusing domestic surveillance and autonomous-weapons use.
- Anthropic sued, claiming the cancellation was unlawful and risking hundreds of millions in contracts.
Azure Depends On Third-Party Models
- Microsoft supplies Azure and Microsoft 365 to defense and offers Anthropic and OpenAI models through those services.
- Loss of those models would materially weaken Microsoft's defense offerings and threaten future investment decisions.
Ask Courts To Pause For Orderly Unwinding
- Courts may be asked to delay enforcement to allow an orderly unwinding from defense supply chains.
- Microsoft explicitly requested a temporary restraining order to give time to evaluate and unwind contracts safely.