Judge rules Pentagon's retaliation against Anthropic over AI criticism illegal

In a ruling that touches the oldest tension between power and dissent, a federal judge found Thursday that the Pentagon had acted unlawfully when it moved to punish Anthropic for publicly questioning the Defense Department's approach to artificial intelligence. The case asks whether government agencies may use their vast economic leverage — contracts, funding, access — to silence the private voices that challenge them. The judge's answer was no, though the government's expected appeal ensures this question will echo through the courts long after this first answer was given.