Pop superstar Katy Perry has publicly endorsed the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, hours after the US Department of Defense announced it would phase out its contracts with the firm. The "Roar" singer shared a screenshot on X early Saturday showing she had purchased an annual subscription to Claude Pro, Anthropic's advanced AI tool, for $214.99.
Perry's post, captioned simply "done," quickly went viral, amassing 2.8 million views and 21,000 likes. The show of support comes amid a high-stakes legal and public relations battle between the AI startup and the Pentagon.
Defence Department Labels Company a Risk
The Department of Defense on Friday designated Anthropic a supply chain risk, a move that effectively blacklists the US-based company and could severely hinder its ability to secure future government contracts. In response, Anthropic stated it would challenge the designation in court.
The dispute centres on the company's refusal to drop two key safeguards: a prohibition on the mass surveillance of US citizens and a ban on the development of autonomous weapons. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had issued an ultimatum demanding Anthropic allow the US military to use its Claude AI model for "all lawful military purposes without company-imposed restrictions."
A Principled Stance Gains Support
Anthropic's position appears to have galvanised support from figures like Perry, who is dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and has previously supported Democratic candidates. Her cryptic social media activity has sometimes been interpreted as criticism of former President Donald Trump, who on Friday wrote on Truth Social: "We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again."
It remains unclear how Perry intends to use her Claude Pro subscription, a powerful tool capable of coding and managing complex projects whose capabilities have impacted software stock valuations.
Shifting Alliances in the AI Landscape
The Pentagon's relationship with Anthropic has been volatile. The company's Claude AI was the first model approved for certain classified military operations, but the partnership deteriorated ahead of the recent ultimatum. Meanwhile, Anthropic's main rival, OpenAI, has moved in the opposite direction.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced late Friday that his company had struck a deal with the Department of Defense to use its AI models, just hours after the Pentagon severed ties with Anthropic. Altman had previously stated that AI companies should work with the military but not be compelled to do so.
Market Impact and Public Perception
The public dispute has had a tangible effect on the AI app market. By Saturday, Claude had risen to become the second most popular app across all categories in Apple's App Store, trailing only OpenAI's ChatGPT. This surge follows a previous jump from 41st to the top 10 earlier this month, driven in part by successful Super Bowl advertisements that took jabs at OpenAI.
Anthropic's refusal to compromise on its core ethical safeguards, juxtaposed with OpenAI's new defence partnership, sets the stage for a defining corporate and philosophical rivalry in the rapidly evolving AI sector.