On Thursday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said that the AI startup "cannot in good conscience accede" to new Defense Department contract language that would permit unrestricted military use of its AI system, Claude.
AI Contract Clash With The Pentagon
In a blog post, the San Francisco-based startup said updated terms from the U.S. Department of Defense made virtually no progress in blocking the model's potential use for mass surveillance of Americans or fully autonomous weapons.
Anthropic said the Department of War will only work with AI companies that agree to "any lawful use" and remove safeguards on surveillance and autonomous weapons.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly gave Anthropic until Friday to open its AI models for unrestricted use or risk losing its government contract.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell took to X and said the military "has no interest in using AI to conduct mass surveillance of Americans (which is illegal)" nor to develop weapons operating without human involvement.
He added that the department wants to use Anthropic's model "for all lawful purposes."
The Department of War has no interest in using AI to conduct mass surveillance of Americans (which is illegal) nor do we want to use AI to develop autonomous weapons that operate without human involvement. This narrative is fake and being peddled by leftists in the media.… https://t.co/3pjWZ66aXz
Under Secretary of War Emil Michael also took to X and called Amodei a "liar."
"The @DeptofWar will ALWAYS adhere to the law but not bend to whims of any one for-profit tech company," he wrote.
It's a shame that @DarioAmodei is a liar and has a God-complex. He wants nothing more than to try to personally control the US Military and is ok putting our nation's safety at risk.
— Under Secretary of War Emil Michael (@USWREMichael) February 27, 2026
On the other hand, earlier this week, Vitalik Buterin, creator of Ethereum(CRYPTO: ETH), urged Anthropic to stand firm on its stance against autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, even if it comes at a cost.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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