In a rare show of solidarity, more than thirty AI researchers from OpenAI and Google have personally entered a legal battle between the U.S. government and Anthropic. The group, which includes prominent figures like Google DeepMind's chief scientist Jeff Dean, filed a friend-of-the-court brief on Monday supporting Anthropic's request for a temporary restraining order against the Pentagon.

The move comes hours after Anthropic sued the Department of Defense. The conflict stems from the Pentagon labeling Anthropic a "supply-chain risk," a designation that effectively cuts the AI company off from military contractors. This sanction followed a breakdown in negotiations between Anthropic and defense officials.

The brief argues the government's action creates damaging uncertainty that will stifle American innovation and deter essential debate about advanced AI systems. It contends the Pentagon could have simply terminated its contract with Anthropic instead of applying a broad blacklist. The filing also defends Anthropic's insistence on contractual limits, such as prohibitions on using its technology for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons, calling such safeguards a "vital" layer of protection in the absence of comprehensive regulation.

Signatories, acting in a personal capacity and not on behalf of their employers, include researchers like OpenAI's Gabriel Wu and Google's Zhengdong Wang. Their intervention adds weight to criticism from other industry figures. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently called the Pentagon's decision "very bad for our industry and our country." Notably, OpenAI secured its own military contract as Anthropic's relationship with the Pentagon deteriorated, a move some observers saw as capitalizing on a rival's setback.

As of now, OpenAI and Google have not provided official comment on their employees' legal action.

Source: Wired