Pentagon pushes Anthropic for unrestricted AI use
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- Pentagon demanded a blanket “any lawful use” clause in its AI contract with Anthropic, which would permit the military to employ the technology for mass surveillance and lethal autonomous weapons.
- Emil Michael, Pentagon chief technology officer and former Uber executive, threatened to list Anthropic as a “supply chain risk,” a designation normally reserved for national‑security threats.
- Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s chief executive, is set to meet Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in a “shit‑or‑get‑off‑the‑pot” discussion over the contract terms.
- OpenAI and xAI have already accepted similar “any lawful use” language in their defense deals, according to a Washington Post report.
- Anthropic’s $380 billion valuation and future hinge on the outcome of the negotiations, as the $200 million contract represents a critical revenue source.
Why it matters: The Pentagon secures unrestricted AI capabilities for surveillance and weapons, while Anthropic risks losing a $200 million contract and a supply‑chain‑risk label that could cripple its market standing, valuation, and future growth. The deal also sets a precedent that may force other AI firms to accept similarly broad usage rights, reshaping the industry’s relationship with the defense sector.
