The United States government is reportedly threatening to end military contracts with AI company Anthropic unless it grants unrestricted access to its artificial intelligence technology for military use.
Anthropic, creator of the chatbot Claude, is the last major AI firm not supplying its technology to a new US military internal network. CEO Dario Amodei has expressed significant ethical concerns regarding unchecked government AI use, citing dangers from autonomous weapons and mass surveillance.
Last July, Anthropic secured a $200 million contract from the US Department of Defense to "prototype frontier AI capabilities that advance US national security." The company also entered into a partnership with Palantir Technologies in 2024 to integrate Claude into US intelligence software.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly stated he would terminate the $200 million contract and label Anthropic a "supply chain risk" if the company does not comply. Such a designation could lead to Anthropic being excluded from future government contract awards.
Hegseth also reportedly threatened to invoke the Defense Production Act, a law granting the US President broad authority to compel private companies to prioritize national security needs, including technology access.
Separately, Anthropic has adjusted its core safety policy, announcing it will no longer guarantee adequate safety measures before releasing AI systems. The company stated that pausing development for safety while competitors advance without safeguards could lead to a less safe world, with developers of weaker protections setting the pace.