Pentagon Signs AI Deals with Seven Tech Giants, Excludes Anthropic Over Safety Dispute
The Department of Defense announced agreements with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon Web Services, and Reflection to deploy AI tools in classified military networks. Anthropic was excluded after the Trump administration blacklisted the company for insisting on safety guardrails against autonomous weapons use. Anthropic sued the administration, and a federal judge blocked the blacklisting.
The Department of Defense announced agreements with seven major technology companies to deploy artificial intelligence tools in its classified computer networks. The companies are SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon Web Services, and Reflection.
Anthropic, maker of the Claude AI system, was not included. The Trump administration had previously blacklisted Anthropic after the company refused to allow its AI to be used for autonomous weapons systems and mass surveillance without safety guardrails. Anthropic sued the administration over the blacklisting, and a federal judge blocked the government''s efforts.
The Pentagon''s "AI-first" strategy aims to give military personnel faster access to intelligence analysis, logistics planning, and decision support. Its GenAI.mil platform has already been used by 1.3 million Department of Defense personnel.
The dispute with Anthropic centers on the company''s insistence that any government use of its AI include restrictions on fully autonomous lethal decision-making. The Trump administration viewed these conditions as unacceptable limits on military capability.
Discussions between the White House and Anthropic reopened after the company unveiled its Mythos tool, which identifies cybersecurity threats. The National Security Agency has reportedly used Mythos to probe Microsoft security vulnerabilities. However, the White House has opposed Anthropic''s plan to expand access to the Mythos model more broadly.
The seven companies that signed deals will work with the Pentagon to integrate their AI tools into classified systems. The agreements cover a range of applications, from data analysis to logistics and communications.
Defense analysts say the deals reflect the military''s view that AI capability is now a core component of national security. Critics, including some former military officials, have raised concerns about the pace of AI adoption in high-stakes environments without adequate testing and oversight.
