Axios: Pentagon may end ties with AI developer Anthropic

The US Department of Defense is considering ending its collaboration with American AI company Anthropic after the firm insisted on limiting the use of its systems for surveillance and weaponisation.

According to a source in the Washington administration, the Pentagon is weighing cutting ties with Anthropic because the company insists on maintaining restrictions on the military use of its models, Axios reports.

The outlet noted that the department requires all AI firms it works with to allow their technologies to be used “for all lawful purposes,” including military operations and intelligence collection.

Anthropic has refused to accept these terms, specifically insisting that its systems not be used for “mass surveillance of Americans” or for “fully autonomous weapons.”

Negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic have so far been unsuccessful. The source said the department is considering all options, including a complete severance of ties. 

Such a move could complicate operations for US military personnel, who actively use Anthropic’s Claude AI model, the first to gain access to classified US military networks. In summer 2025, the Pentagon signed a $200 million contract with Anthropic.

By Jeyhun Aghazada