Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has confirmed it will continue enforcing strict limits on military applications of its technology as negotiations with the U.S. defense establishment remain unresolved, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
The dispute centers on Anthropic’s refusal to relax safety safeguards that prevent its large language models from being used for autonomous weapons targeting or domestic surveillance operations. Defense officials have argued that compliance requirements should align with U.S. law and national security priorities.
During recent high-level talks, U.S. defense leadership warned that the government could take stronger action if the company does not adjust its policy. Options reportedly discussed included classifying Anthropic as a potential supply-chain security concern or invoking the Defense Production Act, a law that can compel corporate compliance in certain strategic sectors.
The Pentagon has been expanding partnerships with artificial intelligence developers to integrate advanced language models into defense operations, including cybersecurity monitoring, intelligence support, and battlefield data processing. The government is also exploring contracts with technology firms such as Google LLC, OpenAI, and xAI as part of broader modernization efforts.
