Anthropic A Supply Chain Risk? Should Marketers Care?
I try to not get political on Marketing Junto, and to be honest I'm not really getting political here either. The US administration, Friday, declared Anthropic, the makers of Claude AI, a supply chain risk. This designation is usually reserved for foreign companies that are associated with foreign "adversaries."
Now that this designation is set, many companies who deal with the federal government will have to stop using Claude and move to OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini (or others models).
What does this mean for marketers not dealing with the federal government? To be honest nothing. They can keep using Claude. And honestly, they should. It's a better model.
I'm not even sure how long this embargo against Anthropic/Claude is going to be on the books. Regardless, if you're not working with the feds you're fine.
Why Bother Using AI At All?
Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. It comes down to how you choose to use it. Marketers should be aware of what these systems can do and how they can augment their work. They shouldn't, for any reason, just use them carte blanch.
AI is a good for brainstorming and getting your initial ideas out of your head. But that's where it should stop. Once you get the brainstorming done, it's time to be a human. Marketers need to realize this an keep things human.
Granted some of the tools are really helpful. The image generation capabilities are great for one off blog post graphics, in my opinion. But not for overall website photographs and materials.
Again it's how you use and don't use these tools that matters.
What do you think? Post your comments below or shoot me a email!
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Bluesky CEO Jay Graber steps down | TechCrunchBluesky’s board will search for a replacement while Graber becomes Chief Innovation Officer.TechCrunchSarah Perez
She is now the Chief Innovation Officer and the interim CEO comes from an Open Source background (Automattic/WordPress) so this might be a move in the right direction. Maybe we'll finally get more decentralization over there on the AT Protocol.
OpenAI and Google employees rush to Anthropic’s defense in DOD lawsuit | TechCrunchMore than 30 OpenAI and Google DeepMind employees signed onto a statement supporting Anthropic’s lawsuit against the Defense Department after the agency labeled the AI firm a supply-chain risk, according to court filings.TechCrunchRebecca Bellan
Good on them.
Proton Mail Helped FBI Unmask Anonymous ‘Stop Cop City’ ProtesterA court record reviewed by 404 Media shows privacy-focused email provider Proton Mail handed over payment data related to a Stop Cop City email account to the Swiss government, which handed it to the FBI.404 MediaJoseph Cox
Another reason to not use Proton Mail. So secure... right!!!! 🤨
Inside the backlash to the AI war machineA protest at OpenAI headquarters suggests the backlash to military AI is growing — even if its politics are still half-formed. PLUS: The Pentagon declares Anthropic a supply chain riskPlatformerElla Markianos
Great coverage of the protests at OpenAI's HQ.
How to use AI in Podcasting: The Exciting Opportunity — and the Legal MinefieldWith every new innovation comes new legal questions. The Podcasting Lawyer, Gordon Firemark, tells us what to look out for when using AI tools for podcasting.PodnewsGordon P Firemark
An excellent piece from Gordon Firemark, the podcasting lawyer, about how to correctly use AI in your podcast and what to avoid.
2025 U.S. Podcast Report: Trends Shaping Listening and Growth in 2025Explore key findings from the 2025 U.S. Podcast Report, including audience growth, video trends, top genres, and insights shaping the future of podcasting.Triton DigitalDesideria Mastriaco
This report is worth downloading if you're in the podcast arena or getting into it.
Meta faces UK and US investigations over AI smart glassesAccording to multiple reports, the company’s contractors in Kenya are allegedly reviewing users’ private intimate content for training purposes.Social Media TodayAndrew Hutchinson
As they should. Pretty much, don't wear the AI smart glasses if you want any sort of privacy and don't want Meta recording/keeping EVERYTHING.
These are the countries moving to ban social media for children | TechCrunchAustralia was the first country to issue a ban in late 2025, aiming to reduce the pressures and risks that young users may face on social media, including cyberbullying, social media addiction, and exposure to predators.TechCrunchAisha Malik
Regardless of what you think about kids and social media, more and more countries are moving to ban social media for kids under certain ages.
Apple’s 512GB Mac Studio vanishes, a quiet acknowledgment of the RAM shortageAnnouncements this week were mostly business as usual, but Apple isn’t immune.Ars TechnicaAndrew Cunningham
Talk about a shortage. Thanks to AI, RAM is hard to find and when you find it you'll need a freaking mortgage (okay that's hyperbole, but still it's pricey).
Meta to let rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp in EUThe company was pressured into this concession by the EU Commission and is allowing competitors access in an effort to prevent regulatory proceedings.Social Media TodayAndrew Hutchinson
Probably because they have to. It's not altruistic at all and it's only in the European Union.
Google AI Mode Cites Itself More Often, With More Organic LinksGoogle’s AI Mode self-citations tripled in nine months. SE Ranking data shows that more links now lead to organic search results, not business profiles.Search Engine JournalMatt G. Southern
Not surprised by this. This is right in Google's playbook. It's definitely something to be aware of, that's for sure.
DeepRare outperforms doctors in a rare disease diagnosis studyDeepRare AI system outperforms doctors at diagnosing rare diseases with 64.4% accuracy on first attempt. Find more about the study.The Next WebAna-Maria Stanciuc
Again, AI should be use to help augment human knowledge. Of course AI can find more correlations and diagnose more rare diseases, it has way more compute than a human.
Google made Gmail and Drive easier for AI agents to useGoogle’s new Workspace CLI unifies Gmail, Drive, and Calendar for AI agents, with OpenClaw support and MCP integration built in from day one.The Next WebAllison Steffens Herrera
Smart move on the part of Google, if you ask me. Worrisome about privacy-leakage though.
Podcasts overtake spoken-word radioAnd, revenue set to increase, tooPodnewsJames Cridland
I might have shared this already in a past issue, but this is huge. Podcasts listening is more than spoken-word radio listening!
There Was Just an Unusually Unsettling Pentagon-Related Resignation at OpenAIIt wasn’t an acrimonious departure, but this specific resignation coming right now might be cause for some soul-searching internally.GizmodoMike Pearl
You're going to see this happen, I predict, more and more over the next weeks.
Web Finds
How to Avoid Getting Locked Out of Your Google AccountMake a recovery plan now to avoid losing access to your account in the future.WIREDDavid Nield
Good tips all around.
Another h/t to my buddy Brian Griffiths for sharing this on Slack.Dot Com PressPublishing for the internet age.
The history of the domain. An interesting article and history.
Source
That's It For This Week! Keep Rocking It!
-Seth
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