AI Commission Co-Chair Foushee Slams Pentagon Pressure on Anthropic Over Mass Surveillance and Autonomous Weapons, Raises Alarm over Safety Rollbacks

WASHINGTON, DC (February 26, 2026) - Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04), a Co-Chair of the House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy, released the following statement in response to reports that Secretary Hegseth and the Department of War are pressuring Anthropic regarding the use of its AI systems for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, as separate reports indicate the company is revising key AI safety commitments:

"Reports that Anthropic is stepping back from key safety commitments in the face of pressure from Secretary Hegseth and the Department of War are deeply troubling. AI companies have a responsibility to stand by the safeguards they publicly embraced and should not weaken them in response to political pressure. Doing the right thing should not depend on who is in the White House. Congress is watching.

"I firmly object to any effort by the Administration to strong-arm AI companies into enabling mass surveillance or developing weapons that operate without meaningful human control. These uses threaten civil liberties and human rights at home and around the world, and they raise profound moral and constitutional concerns. Targeting one of America's leading AI companies because it refuses to abandon basic safety principles would also be strategically reckless and only strengthens China's hand.

"I urge Secretary Hegseth and the Department to withdraw any demands that would undermine established AI safety guardrails. The United States must lead in responsible AI, not in abandoning safeguards or automating life-and-death decisions."