The article “Southwestern Pa. is scouting the digital frontier” (March 31, TribLive) put a positive spin on advancing AI. For a different perspective, read TIME magazine’s April 6 article “The Most Disruptive Company in The World.”
It tells of a company that is on the frontier of AI development and the concerns its staff has for balancing the benefits of AI with its enormous risks. For each new advance, there is the danger of disruption to entire categories, from law to software development to the future of work. The hazards include enabling mass surveillance, widespread job losses and even permanent loss of human control.
In July 2025, the Pentagon awarded this frontier AI company a military contract. But the contract did not last long, for by February 2026, the company, Anthropic, and the Pentagon were at an impasse. Anthropic had two red lines it would not cross. One was that a human being had to give the command before a fully autonomous weapons system engaged. The second was no mass surveillance of American citizens. The Trump administration insisted these were unnecessary guardrails and that a private company should not dictate how the military waged war.
The government canceled Anthropic’s contract, which was then given to two companies, one run by Elon Musk and another by Sam Altman. These two men do not have the same ethical concern as Anthropic.
Joanne Garing
North Huntingdon