A department official told the BBC that the Pentagon “has ceased the use of Anthropic products” (Photo: AP).
The US government and military had used Anthropic since 2024, and it was the first advanced AI company to have its tools deployed in government agencies handling classified work. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic a supply chain risk in February and announced that the Pentagon would phase out its use by late August. BBC reported. the Pentagon has signed contracts with other major tech companies, including Google and OpenAI While the case has proceeded through the courts.
A department official told the BBC that the Pentagon “has ceased the use of Anthropic products. However, several people familiar with the matter told the BBC that, as recently as last week, the department was still using Anthropic’s Claude model for research, analysis and intelligence gathering, as well as in military operations against Iran. OpenAI’s tools have been adopted more widely in some military departments in recent months, according to two people familiar with AI use in the department.
The US defence ministry has stopped using Anthropic’s AI tools, months after labelling the company a supply chain risk on national security grounds. Anthropic spokesman declined to comment on the Pentagon’s statement.
Earlier this year, however, the Pentagon pressed the company to remove Claude’s safety guardrails and grant the military unrestricted access to its AI tools.