Pentagon officials sent Anthropic best and final offer for military use of its AI amid dispute, sources say

February 26, 2026

TL;DR

The Pentagon submitted a best and final offer to Anthropic for the use of its AI technology ahead of a government deadline.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth set a Friday deadline for Anthropic to grant all lawful use of its AI or lose business with the U.S. military.
Pentagon officials are considering labeling Anthropic a supply chain risk and may invoke the Defense Production Act.
Anthropic was awarded a $200 million contract in July to develop AI for U.S. national security.
Anthropic wants guardrails to prevent its AI from mass surveillance and final targeting decisions without human involvement.
The company's CEO, Dario Amodei, is concerned about potential lethal mistakes and unintended escalation.
Hegseth demanded a signed document granting full access to Anthropic's AI model by the end of the week.

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