Hegseth Demands Anthropic Drop AI Weapon Limits or Lose Pentagon Contract
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has given AI company Anthropic a Friday deadline to remove restrictions on military use of its technology or risk losing its Pentagon contract, according to the Associated Press.
The ultimatum escalates a dispute over whether powerful artificial intelligence tools should operate without internal guardrails when used by the U.S. military.
People familiar with a recent Pentagon meeting told AP that Hegseth informed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei the Defense Department will not accept built-in limits that restrict lawful military missions.
At the center of the conflict is Anthropic’s AI model Claude, which the company prohibits from being used for fully autonomous weapons targeting and mass domestic surveillance, according to AP and Reuters reporting.
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Defense officials warned during the meeting that Anthropic could be designated a “supply chain risk” or face potential action under the Defense Production Act if it does not comply, AP reported.
One person familiar with the talks said the department wants AI systems available for all lawful purposes without company-imposed constraints.
The standoff reflects a broader tension between national security priorities and AI safety commitments as advanced language models become integrated into defense systems.
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Unlike some competitors that have expanded military partnerships, Anthropic has maintained firm policy limits on certain applications of its technology.
The Friday deadline now forces a decision that could reshape the company’s relationship with the U.S. government and influence how AI guardrails are handled across the defense sector.
Whether the Pentagon escalates further or Anthropic adjusts its policies will likely determine how future AI contracts are structured.
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