Today, The Alliance for Secure AI, Common Cause, and Young Americans for Liberty urged Congress to use its oversight authority to investigate the Department of Defense’s (DOD) overreach in issuing an ultimatum to AI company Anthropic. Secretary Hegseth is demanding Anthropic remove restrictions on using its AI models for mass domestic surveillance and to power fully autonomous weapons — two red lines that Anthropic has drawn a line in the sand against. 

The power to use lethal force and surveil everyday Americans has grown exponentially due to AI.  Secretary Hegseth’s refusal to agree that the Department of Defense will not use AI for these purposes should alarm all Americans. 

“The Founders could not have imagined that the federal government would one day use powerful technology to surveil citizens en masse and launch autonomous weapons of war. Secretary Hegseth should be able to commit to upholding Americans’ constitutional rights,” said Brendan Steinhauser, CEO of The Alliance for Secure AI. “The American people have the right to know, through public forums, if their rights are in danger of being infringed upon. Congress must use its power to provide oversight of the Department of Defense’s actions and require Secretary Hegseth to testify about how the Department intends to use AI systems.”

“The Constitution doesn’t bend just because technology evolves,” said Carol Evans, Common Cause’s Vice President of Policy. “AI makes it easier than ever for the government to surveil Americans and automate the use of force. That’s why Congress must step in to ensure these tools are used lawfully and that this administration commits to respecting our constitutional rights.” 

Read the full letter here.