Trump says Anthropic is 'shaping up,' open to deal with Pentagon

US President Donald Trump indicated a potential shift in his administration's stance on AI firm Anthropic, suggesting openness to a deal allowing the company to resume work with the Pentagon. This follows a previous directive to halt collaborations and a "supply-chain risk" designation, which Anthropic disputes.

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday told CNBC that AI giant Anthropic was "shaping up" in the eyes of his administration and he was open to a deal to allow the firm to resume working with the Pentagon.

Trump in February directed the governmentto stop working with Anthropic. The Pentagon followed up by declaring the firm a supply-chain risk, dealing a major blow to the artificial intelligence lab after a showdown over guardrails for how the military could use its artificial intelligence tools.

The company disputes that characterization and filed suit against the Defense Department in March over the determination.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with White House officials last week to attempt to repair the relationship. The White House called the meeting productive and constructive.

"They came to the White House a few days ago, and we had some very good talks with them," Trump told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday. "And I think they're shaping up. They're very smart, and I think they can be of great use. I like smart people."

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