The dispute between the United States Department of Defense and Anthropic may mark a turning point for artificial intelligence in warfare.
Claude, Anthropic’s AI model developed under Dario Amodei, is reportedly active within Pentagon systems. It can sift through massive amounts of intelligence data, helping analysts make faster decisions.
But Anthropic has drawn ethical boundaries. The Pentagon reportedly wants those limits lifted.
Officials argue that military AI cannot “refuse” lawful commands during critical operations. Anthropic counters that removing safeguards could lead to dangerous precedents.
Competitors including OpenAI and Google are negotiating access to defense contracts worth up to $200 million.
What happens next could determine whether tech companies retain the power to say “no” to military use — or whether national security demands override corporate ethics.
