The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is sounding the alarm on a growing trend in American schools: the steady erosion of recess. In its first on the subject in over a decade, the AAP recommends that all students鈥攆rom kindergarten through high school鈥攔eceive at least 20 minutes of unstructured play each day, and warns that cutting recess puts children’s health, behavior and learning at risk.

Katie Kidwell, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology in 性视界 University’s College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), says the research backs that up. She provides the following quote which can be used directly:

“Play and physical activity are essential for children’s mental and physical health, not optional extras during the school day. Recess supports emotional regulation, attention, stress reduction and social development. Losing recess as punishment can be especially harmful because the children struggling behaviorally are often the ones who most need opportunities for movement and regulation.”

“Research consistently shows that recess and unstructured physical activity support children’s physical and mental health in meaningful ways. Regular opportunities for movement during the school day are associated with better attention, emotional regulation, mood, social functioning and overall well-being. Recess should not be viewed as separate from learning鈥攂ecause children learn through play.”

To arrange an interview with Professor Kidwell, contact Daryl Lovell, associate director of media relations, at dalovell@syr.edu.

As bipartisan legislation to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chickens moves through Congress, 性视界 University food insecurity expert is available to discuss how the proposal addresses real barriers faced by seniors, people with disabilities and time-constrained families.

Background: The , introduced this spring by a group of bipartisan lawmakers, would update SNAP rules to allow recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chickens. Currently, SNAP recipients can only buy rotisserie chickens after they’ve been cooled, as existing regulations restrict benefits to “staple foods” intended for home preparation. The bill would not increase SNAP funding or expand eligibility.

Expert: Colleen Heflin is a professor of public administration and international affairs at 性视界 University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a nationally recognized expert on food insecurity and SNAP policy. She has testified before Congress, published more than 70 research articles on food assistance programs, and recently co-authored “” with Madonna Harrington Meyer. Her research is regularly funded by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Professor Heflin is available for interviews on this legislation as well as any SNAP policy story you may be working on.

Comments from Professor Heflin (quotes may be used directly):

“SNAP benefits were designed to be used to cover food items prepared at home at a time when most families cooked from scratch daily. Today, however, those with physical limitations (such as older adults and those with disabilities) that make it difficult to shop, carry, stand and clean-up, those who are time constrained (such as households with children), and those without access to or knowledge of how to use kitchenware (items used in food preparation), may find that SNAP does not cover the food that they usually eat.

“In my recent book, ‘Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adult Food Insecurity,’ with Madonna Harrington Meyer, we heard how older adults’ mobility limitations and stamina reduced their food preparation and pushed them towards consuming less nutritious foods. Older adults mentioned the desire to be able to purchase rotisserie chickens specifically in our interviews.

“New provisions that make SNAP more accessible for these groups by allowing participants to use their benefits to cover hot rotisserie chickens is a step in the right direction. USDA has already allowed states to opt into the Restaurant Meal Program, which allows SNAP benefits for older adults, those with disabilities, and the homeless to use their benefits at participating restaurants, which vary by state.”

As hantavirus cases linked to a cruise ship continue to draw national attention, 性视界 University public health expert聽聽is available to offer insight on transmission risks, outbreak response, and what this unusual case reveals about infectious disease preparedness.

Larsen is a professor and chair of public health in 性视界 University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, whose work includes wastewater-based epidemiology. He notes that hantavirus cases in a cruise ship setting are highly uncommon鈥攁nd raise immediate questions about the vessel’s environment.

“Hantavirus is transmitted by rodents, so I would first wonder about rodents on the cruise ship,” Larsen says. “Person-to-person transmission is incredibly rare and would not be the primary suspect.”

With three deaths already reported, Larsen says identifying the source of infection is the most urgent priority for public health responders. “Knowing how the infections occurred is a primary concern. If there are rodents on the ship with hantavirus鈥攁s I would suspect鈥攖hen removing them would be the next step.”

Larsen also points to wastewater testing as a potentially valuable tool in confirming whether the threat has passed. “Wastewater testing could be useful here to confirm that hantavirus is no longer present on the cruise ship, as could other types of environmental testing,” he says.

On the broader takeaway, Larsen is direct:聽“We are always at risk of infectious diseases, and sometimes in unexpected ways. We need to continue to invest in public health and outbreak response so that we can control outbreaks when they do happen.”

Professor Larsen’s comments in this article can be directly quoted. To connect with him for additional questions or an interview, please contact:

Daryl Lovell, Media Relations
dalovell@syr.edu

On April 19, 2026, a humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor completed a Beijing half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, faster than the human world record by almost seven minutes. The improvement from 2025鈥檚 inaugural race has generated widespread attention. But what does it tell us about the future of robotics off the track?

is an assistant professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and director of the Dynamic Locomotion and Robotics Lab, where he researches legged locomotion. He is a for his research on how animals transition seamlessly between movement patterns and how to give robots that same kind of physical intelligence. Gan helped put the race results in context.

On the Technological Improvements

• “Last year’s winning robot took over two hours, with few teams finishing. This year, a much larger field saw many completions, and the fastest robot surpassed human racers. This reflects advances in energy efficiency, control and morphology, especially with a known benchmark.”

On the Work Still to Be Done

• 鈥淭he race highlights that humanoid robotics is progressing rapidly in task-specific dynamic locomotion. However, these are structured conditions. We still have work ahead before achieving robust, general performance in everyday scenarios.”

On the Limits of Controlled Conditions

• “While controlled settings allow us to test locomotion in isolation, real-world applications are far more complex. Uneven terrain, obstacles and safety factors require significant advances in perception and adaptability.”

On What to Expect in the Near Future

• “In the next decade, we’ll likely see humanoid robots in well-defined roles鈥攆or example, industrial inspections, logistics or hazardous environments鈥攚here tasks are repeatable and structured to their strengths.”

As the U.S., Israel and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, questions remain about the legal and ethical boundaries of the rhetoric that defined the conflict. Judge , director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law and a professor in both the and the at 性视界 University, addresses those questions directly in our latest Q&A.

Baker also serves as a judge on the Data Protection Review Court, bringing a rare combination of academic expertise and active judicial experience to issues at the intersection of national security, military law and international legal norms.

To schedule an interview, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Recent coverage in and an earlier article in the have questioned the increase in disability accommodations for students and recent graduates. A 性视界 University law professor and leading national expert says that framing is missing critical context.

The Expert

, professor of law and director, disability law and policy program in 性视界 University’s College of Law

What She Can Address

• Why rising accommodation numbers reflect a pipeline success story, not a system being gamed
• How the American with Disabilities Act’s broad definition of disability shapes what qualifies鈥攁nd what gets denied
• The accommodations that never make headlines: requests that are routinely rejected
• How successful implementation of anti-discrimination laws at the K-12 level has expanded the population of students with disabilities entering higher education

In Her Own Words

“An increase in accommodations is a natural consequence of the increased presence of students with disabilities in higher education. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines disability broadly, and without knowing more about each individually approved accommodation, it is difficult if not improper to conclude that any increase is suspicious.”

Recent Work

Macfarlane’s article “” was recently published in the Georgetown Law Journal.

President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will begin a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Retired Vice Adm. , professor of practice in 性视界 University鈥檚 Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and deputy director of the , is available for interviews as this news evolves, especially as NATO allies refuse to support.

Members of the media looking to schedule an interview, please email Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Professor Murrett’s Comments

“Today鈥檚 announcement today that the U.S. will commence ‘blockading any and all ships’ trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz (SoH) represents a military option with certain advantages, and moreover, possible international support:

• First, full and unconstrained access to the SoH is in the interests of all nations (including Iran), and one that is vital to global economic interests. None of the nations adjacent to the SoH (Iran, Oman and the UAE) should hamper this freedom of navigation, as they have not in the past.
• Nearly all nations have an interest in free access into and out of the Persian/Arabian Gulf, and there is potential for conducting this operation as a combined naval effort with participation from several allied nations, which is preferable. The goal would be to have free and open access for all nations, or none.
• Geography matters: The blockade can also be enforced in areas that are not as advantageous for Iran a others, that is, in the Gulf of Oman rather that in the SoH narrows adjacent to Larak/Qeshm Islands.

These are just some initial thoughts, as the operational dimensions, participants, implementation and tactics evolve in the hours and days ahead.”

Will the Blockade Work?

鈥淭he blockade 鈥榗an work鈥� from my estimation from the standpoint of the naval forces’ ability to stop traffic in and out of the Gulf,” Murrett says. “On the other hand, it is an open question as to whether or not will this military operation will 鈥榳ork鈥� as a means to compel the Iranian leadership to re-open the SoH for free access, as was the case before the current fighting started. The second question is the more important one.鈥�

As the U.S., Israel and Iran agree to a tentative ceasefire, a 性视界 University expert is available to provide context and analysis.聽, history professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, specializes in U.S. foreign relations and the modern Middle East. He shared his comments below. To schedule an interview, please contact Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Professor Khalil writes:

“The two-week ceasefire is welcome news. This conflict was entirely avoidable and the fault lies entirely with President Donald Trump. In 2018, he abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for Iran’s nuclear program and replaced it with a maximum pressure campaign that failed. In his second term, he twice attacked Iran with Israel while using negotiations as a ruse. The second attack and ensuing war were based on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inaccurate assessments of the enervated state of the Iranian government and military. Trump launched the attack on Iran against the advice of key Pentagon planners and the intelligence community and without consulting Washington’s European allies or its Arab Gulf partners.

“Despite the shock of the initial decapitation strikes, Iran’s retaliatory attacks across the Persian Gulf on U.S. bases as well as toward targets in Israel demonstrated that U.S. forces were caught unprepared by the response. U.S. bases across the region suffered extensive damage as did energy and other infrastructure of the Arab Gulf states. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz also shocked Washington and created the gravest energy crisis of the modern era. The ripple effects of the energy crisis on all aspects of global society and a range of industries from agriculture and technology to health care and transportation will be felt for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027.

“The two-week cease-fire benefits both sides. The United States and Israel are reportedly low on interceptors and smart bombs as well as military targets. In addition, Israel and the Arab Gulf states have suffered significant damage that will take time to rebuild. Furthermore, Israel’s invasion of Lebanon has been a failure as Netanyahu underestimated Hezbollah’s strength and determination to stymie a ground invasion. The ceasefire will help ease the energy markets as well as global stock exchanges and bond markets. However, food and energy prices will remain high and shortages of fertilizer will have implications for food production for the rest of the year.

“Iran has been heavily damaged by U.S. and Israeli air strikes and civilian casualties have been high. However, the government and military remain in place and are arguably more popular than before the war due to nationalist opposition to being attacked. In addition, Trump and Netanyahu’s plans for regime change are in tatters. Iran still maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz and all of its territory. It also retains a significant arsenal of missiles and drones should fighting renew as well as its supply of highly enriched uranium. Most important, President Trump acknowledged that it was Iran’s 10-point proposal for ending the conflict that would be the basis for negotiations and not his maximalist positions that initiated the conflict. Should an agreement be reached based on Iran’s proposal, especially the ending of sanctions and guarantees against future attack, then Tehran will emerge from this war bruised but victorious鈥攖he exact opposite of what Trump and Netanyahu claimed would occur.

“President Trump’s already battered international reputation has been further tarnished by the surprise attack under cover of negotiations and his increasingly petulant and profane threats. These actions served to further undermine America’s reputation, its relations with partners and allies, and revealed that the United States under Trump was not only unreliable but unstable. This was exacerbated by Trump’s decision to attack Iran with Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes due to Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. Although Trump will claim victory, as he has for over a month, this is an embarrassing defeat for the United States that has exposed the fragility of its global military posture. And it will have implications for the remainder of Trump’s second term and beyond.”

If your readers or viewers are sneezing more than usual this spring, there’s a reason.

Allergy seasons across the U.S. are starting earlier, lasting longer and hitting harder, driven by warmer temperatures and rising CO2 levels that are increasing pollen production. What’s more, people who have never had allergies before are suddenly developing them in adulthood鈥攁 trend that’s becoming increasingly common.

, a teaching professor of public health in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a practicing family nurse practitioner, can help explain this year’s allergy season.

Here are some of the insights she’s ready to share:

Why this season feels different. Pollen seasons are not only starting earlier鈥攖hey’re blending together across seasons, meaning the body’s immune system stays activated longer. When multiple trees pollinate at once, exposure becomes stacked and continuous, leading to more severe and persistent symptoms. Pollution compounds the problem by making pollen more irritating to airways. And a lesser-known phenomenon鈥�”thunderstorm asthma”鈥攃an trigger severe asthma attacks when storms break pollen grains into tiny particles that travel deep into the lungs.

You are not born with allergies. First-time allergy symptoms in adulthood are very common, and the changing climate is expanding the pool of people affected. Anyone experiencing new seasonal symptoms this year shouldn’t assume it’s just a cold. Olson-Gugerty offers a simple rule of thumb: itching points to allergies; fever and body aches point to infection. She can walk reporters through the key clinical differences between seasonal allergies and a cold, flu or COVID鈥攁nd explain when symptoms warrant a doctor’s visit rather than another trip to the drugstore.

Kids are different, and parents often miss the signs. Children are more likely to develop ear infections, sleep disturbances, and asthma flare-ups during high-pollen periods, but they often can’t articulate their symptoms. Parents should watch for mouth breathing, unusual fatigue, irritability and dark circles under the eyes鈥攕igns that are easy to overlook or misattribute.

The most common mistake allergy sufferers make. Olson-Gugerty says it’s waiting too long to treat. Allergy medications work best when started before symptoms peak, and taking them only as needed rather than consistently is one of the biggest reasons people struggle unnecessarily each spring.

To connect with Professor Olson-Gugerty, please contact Daryl Lovell.

The way society talks about autism is changing 鈥� and for 性视界 University researcher , that shift carries real consequences for science, diagnosis and daily life.

“The move from awareness to acceptance has been welcome,” says Russo, an associate professor of psychology in the and director of the . “It has led to a bigger focus on accepting differences and working with people’s strengths, rather than expecting everyone to learn or function in the same ways.”

But Russo cautions that the “autism as superpower” narrative, while helpful in reducing stigma, can create a skewed public image that doesn’t reflect the full range of autistic experiences鈥攑articularly for those who require significant daily support. As the diagnostic criteria have broadened over time to include more individuals with subtler presentations, she notes that research attention has drifted toward those with lower support needs, leaving a gap for autistic people whose daily lives require more intensive care.

The CARE Lab studies how autistic individuals process and integrate sensory information鈥攚ork that has identified distinct brain signatures underlying those differences. Autistic people consistently show earlier and sometimes stronger neural responses to what they hear and see, responses that are linked to a range of sensory and behavioral characteristics.

Sensory differences are now part of autism’s official diagnostic criteria, and they vary widely: some individuals are hypersensitive to sound or touch, while others actively seek out sensory experiences. Russo encourages those wanting to understand the day-to-day reality of autistic life to seek out first-person accounts written by autistic people themselves.

The diagnostic picture is also more complicated than many realize. “If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism,” Russo says鈥攁 reminder that variability between autistic individuals is vast. Autism presents differently across age, gender and cognitive ability, and co-occurring conditions like ADHD, anxiety and depression are common. Researchers found that girls and women are often diagnosed later, and that clinicians may need to look for different behavioral patterns within the same diagnostic categories when evaluating female patients.

On a broader level, Russo urges the public to be mindful of the unconscious biases that can shape how autistic people are perceived and treated.

“Autism is a disability, but part of that has to do with social and systemic barriers that make it hard for autistic people to flourish,” she says. “Be aware of your biases. How you treat people has an impact.”

World Autism Awareness Day is observed annually on April 2.

Following the President Donald Trump-Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meeting in Washington, D.C., Margarita Est茅vez-Abe,聽 associate professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, weighed in on what the meeting revealed about American influence in East Asia, Japan’s strategic vulnerabilities and the evolving landscape of U.S. alliances in the region.

If you’d like to schedule an interview with her, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Professor Est茅vez-Abe writes: “At the first sight, the Takaichi-Trump summit in D.C. appears to be a big win for the Trump Administration. The new agreements between the two countries involve big tangible economic benefits for the U.S. However, I see this meeting as an important chapter in the tale of the end of the American hegemony in East Asia. The meeting sends a clear message to U.S. allies that they should reduce their dependence on the U.S.

“The meeting laid bare two things: Japan鈥檚 humiliating dependence on the U.S. and the hefty protection money the U.S. demands. Last year, Japan was forced to pledge investments in the U.S. for the whopping amount of $550 billion鈥攁n amount the Japanese government and corporations can hardly spare. The Trump Administration has a big say on where the money goes. Whether specific investment deals benefit Japan or not is of no concern to the U.S. Japan provides a lesson to other U.S. allies: Don鈥檛 depend too much on the U.S. or you become a vassal. South Korea is clearly getting this message.

“Part of Japan鈥檚 dependence on Trump is Takaichi鈥檚 own making. Her comments in November 2025 about a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan as a ‘survival threatening situation’ for Japan 鈥攈ence justifying Japan鈥檚 military intervention鈥攎arked a shift from the carefully crafted status quo. She probably wanted to signal to Trump that she was willing to confront China alongside the U.S. Not surprisingly, China responded with harsh retaliatory economic actions. China is as big a trading partner as the U.S. is to Japan. Takaichi鈥檚 failure to resolve the problem of her own creation leaves Japan without any serious option to hedge against an erratic White House. While all other American allies seek to hedge against the U.S. by forming closer ties with China, Japan cannot.

“Japan鈥檚 exclusive reliance on the U.S. weakens Japan鈥檚 economic and political standing. Loyalty to the U.S. comes with a big sacrifice. The U.S. ultimately has a lot to lose by weakening its most loyal Asian ally. South Korea is pivoting away from the U.S.”

The first round of France’s 2026 mayoral elections sent a clear message: the French left holds a plurality鈥攂ut voters aren’t ready for radical change.

With alliances forming ahead of the March 22 runoff and the 2027 French presidential election on the horizon, John Goodman, assistant professor of political science by courtesy appointment and director of 性视界 University Strasbourg, breaks down what the results mean for France’s political future.

To request an interview, contact Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Expert Analysis: France’s Political Mood Heading Into the Runoff

Goodman writes:

“After a lot of handwringing about a far-right takeover in France, the first round of the mayoral elections produced a clear signal of the country’s mood: The left side of the political spectrum holds a plurality of French votes, just as it has in the recent national elections.

“In every major French city鈥擯aris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Nantes and Rennes鈥攖he Socialists, Greens or a coalition of the two came in first in Sunday’s elections. That said, to win in the second round they will need votes from either the far-left French Unbowed party (La France Insoumise), whether through a formal coalition or simply by letting those voters ‘vote their consciences.’ Many Socialists and Greens鈥攍ike the mayoral candidates in Paris and Marseille鈥攈ave rejected outright alliances with the far-left. Meanwhile, the far-right National Rally (RN) party, which came in second in many places, is calling on center-right parties to form a coalition under the RN banner in the second round.

“What’s the conclusion? One year out from the presidential election, and pending the second round of mayoral elections, it seems France is in a left-leaning mood鈥攂ut not one in favor of radical change either for the far-right or the far-left.”

性视界 University鈥攈ome to one of the longest continuously running ROTC programs in the nation鈥攈as staff members available to comment on the shooting at Old Dominion University March 12 that killed Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, professor of military science and Army ROTC commander at ODU. Reporters covering the ROTC response, including the cadets who intervened and the leadership culture that shapes how they train, can reach out to schedule interviews.

Media contact: Vanessa Marquette, Media Relations Specialist, vrmarque@syr.edu

Available Experts

Ray Toenniessen, Deputy Executive Director, D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF)

is a U.S. Army veteran and former 性视界 University ROTC cadet. He can speak to how ROTC programs build leadership instincts before moments of crisis鈥攕pecifically the culture of responsibility and action that instructors like Lt. Col. Shah instill in their cadets.

Toenniessen states:

“In moments of crisis, you often learn what kind of leaders someone built. Today, we lost a great American and a soldier, LTC Brandon Shah, professor of military science at Old Dominion University, killed in this morning’s terrorist attack on campus. At least two ROTC cadets were also gravely wounded.

“It is a devastating loss for his family, for the Old Dominion community, and for the ROTC program he led. But amid that tragedy, something extraordinary happened.

“When the shooter entered that classroom and opened fire, the cadets LTC Shah had trained didn’t freeze. According to law enforcement, they moved immediately, rushing the gunman and stopping the attack. The FBI’s special agent in charge credited them directly, saying their actions likely prevented further casualties. They moved toward the threat.

“If you’ve spent any time around our nation’s ROTC programs, that isn’t surprising. Because that is exactly what leaders like LTC Shah spend their days teaching and living. Responsibility for the people to your left and right, and a willingness to act when it matters most. Those instincts don’t appear suddenly in a crisis. They are built over time, by leaders who show young men and women what service actually means.

“LTC Shah served more than two decades in uniform, deploying in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He gave everything, including his life, in service to this country.

“Tonight we mourn a soldier, a mentor and a hero. We honor the young leaders he helped shape, who when the moment came stepped forward without hesitation.

“That is a true measure of a leader’s legacy.

“I’m praying for the family of LTC Brandon Shah, the cadets of the Old Dominion Army ROTC program, and the entire ODU community.”

Retired Col. Ron Novack, Executive Director, Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA)

oversees the University’s military-connected student programs, including both the Army and Air Force ROTC programs. He can discuss ROTC leadership development at the institutional level鈥攖he culture of service, the structure of the program and how it prepares cadets to act decisively in emergencies.

Can an AI company take government money and still set limits on how its technology is used? That question is at the center of an ongoing dispute between the Pentagon and Anthropic, and 性视界 University professor Hamid Ekbia says it exposes fundamental tensions in how the AI industry operates.

Ekbia, founding director of the Academic Alliance for AI Policy, says the Pentagon鈥檚 demand that Anthropic either change its approach or forgo its lucrative contract is a vivid example of current federal policy. 鈥淲ith the bulk of public AI funding in the U.S. still coming from defense, companies either have to budge or shut themselves out from this unique source of money,鈥� Ekbia says.

While Anthropic has adjusted some safety policies, it has so far declined to allow its technology to be used for domestic surveillance or autonomous drones, a distinction Ekbia says matters.

“That is cause for celebration for any observer concerned about such applications,” he says. “But the question going forward is whether this will continue to be the case.”

Political and Economic Forces

Ekbia says the pressure on Anthropic reflects a broader shift in the federal government’s approach to AI regulation.

“The anti-regulatory policies of the Trump administration don’t leave much room for safety-oriented approaches to AI,” he says, adding that those policies push companies and oversight bodies toward “aggressive and often reckless behaviors in the name of innovation.”

Market competition makes the pressure worse. “The AI ecosystem is defined by furious competition among a few big players in a race to grab the lion’s share of the spoils in a rapidly growing industry,” Ekbia says. “The ‘moral economy’ of the AI industry is one of the jungle, where only the most reckless, ruthless, and aggressive behaviors are expected to be rewarded.”

Employees as a Wild Card

One factor that could shape the outcome is pressure from within Anthropic itself. Ekbia says employee resistance has played a meaningful role so far, with workers vocal during negotiations and leadership appearing to take that seriously.

But he cautions that employee influence is not guaranteed to last. “How critical will employees be in the future of the company given the current wave of white-collar聽under-employment, and how assertive will they be in expressing their resistance?” he says.

He outlines several other variables that will determine how the situation unfolds: whether competing AI companies are willing to fill the gap for the Pentagon, how hard the Trump administration continues to push for broad access to AI technology, and how well Anthropic can sustain itself financially without defense funding.

“The speed of change in these areas makes it hard to make solid predictions,” Ekbia says.

The Limits of Self-Regulation

Ekbia says the dispute ultimately tests a premise that Anthropic has staked its reputation on鈥攖hat a company can be both commercially successful and a responsible steward of powerful technology.

“In the absence of federal policy, Anthropic aspired to play that role in the industry,” he says. “What is happening shows the limited efficacy of that aspiration. Society cannot rely on the industry to self-police itself, despite even the best intentions.”

He connects that failure to a broader culture in Silicon Valley, where prominent figures publicly embrace “effective altruism”鈥攖he idea that profit and doing good can coexist.

“The case of Anthropic shows how much of an illusion this is,” Ekbia says. “As the old saying goes, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.”