Military representatives pointed to foreign AI development programs as justification for flexible operational policies.
Anthropic, however, has pushed for what it describes as narrow safety exceptions rather than broad unrestricted deployment.
The company says its models have not been shown to encounter the two high-risk areas it wants protected: large-scale surveillance of domestic populations and autonomous lethal targeting.
The dispute has also entered the political sphere, with some officials criticizing Anthropic’s position.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the company as “sanctimonious” and suggested its leadership was attempting to influence military policy through commercial technology agreements.
Mr. Trump publicly accused the company of ideological bias, saying, “Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY.”
Anthropic rejected those characterizations and maintained that its objective is to protect both technological innovation and national interests.
