It would take the Pentagon months to replace Anthropic's AI tools: sources

"Claude is one of just two large generative-AI models that the Pentagon has made available on classified networks, and it is the only one that belongs to the cutting-edge group of frontier models. The Defense Department isn't saying just how it uses such models. But Emil Michael, defense undersecretary for research and engineering, has suggested that their uses include intelligence and warfighting."

"In 'a narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values. Some uses are also simply outside the bounds of what today's technology can safely and reliably do,' he said in his statement. But Amodei said those are the only two limits he insists on."

"Pentagon officials have threatened various reprisals should Anthropic insist on its limits, including invoking the Defense Production Act to use the company's product without the company's permission."

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refuses Pentagon demands to remove safeguards preventing Claude's use for mass surveillance of U.S. citizens and fully autonomous weapons guidance. Claude is one of only two advanced AI models available on classified Pentagon networks and the only frontier-class model currently deployed. The Defense Department uses such models for intelligence synthesis and conflict prediction but claims it only seeks lawful uses. Pentagon officials have threatened reprisals including invoking the Defense Production Act to access the technology without permission. Amodei maintains these two restrictions are necessary to protect democratic values and reflect current technological limitations.

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