The US Department of Defence has ceased using Anthropic's AI tools, an official confirmed to the BBC. This move comes months after Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth labelled Anthropic a supply chain risk on national security grounds. The Pentagon had been using Anthropic's tools, including its Claude model, for research, analysis, and intelligence gathering, as well as in military operations against Iran.
Anthropic had been used by the US government and military since 2024 and was the first advanced AI company to have its tools deployed in government agencies doing classified work. However, earlier this year, the Pentagon pressed Anthropic to remove its safety guardrails from Claude and give the military unfettered access to its AI tools. When Anthropic refused, citing concerns of mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, Hegseth designated the company a national security supply-chain risk.
The designation was deemed "unprecedented and unlawful" by Anthropic, which has sued the Trump administration in an effort to overturn the designation. Despite this, the Pentagon has signed contracts with other major tech companies, including Google, xAI, and OpenAI. OpenAI tools have been more widely adopted in recent months in some military departments, according to people familiar with AI use in the defence department.
The Pentagon's use of Anthropic's Claude model was deeply integrated into its Maven Smart System, a platform operated by Palantir. Maven is the Pentagon's primary platform for organising intelligence and other data. Lauren Kahn, a senior research analyst at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, noted that removing Claude from the system would have been difficult due to its integration.
Defence contractors and former US defence officials familiar with the Pentagon's use of artificial intelligence reported that Claude was still being widely used in recent weeks. The tool was used for intelligence gathering and analysis, including through Palantir's Maven system. Analysts and defence officials relied on Maven to access and organise visual data, including satellite imagery and drone footage.
The data was then fed into Claude and other large language models for tasks such as identifying potential military targets. Officials frequently used the technology when compiling one-page briefs that were passed up the chain of command. Recent private demonstrations of Maven for government officials have also included Claude.
Anthropic's clash with the Pentagon comes as relations with the White House appear to be warming. Trump met with Anthropic boss Dario Amodei twice at the White House last week. After one of the meetings with Trump and other technology leaders, Amodei expressed concerns about risks posed by AI, but also noted the potential for collaboration.
Key points
- The US Department of Defence has stopped using Anthropic's AI tools due to national security concerns.
- Anthropic had been used by the US government and military since 2024 for classified work.
- The Pentagon has signed contracts with other major tech companies, including Google, xAI, and OpenAI.
