tech
February 24, 2026
Anthropic faces Friday deadline in Defense AI clash with Hegseth
Until this week, Anthropic was the only AI company cleared to deploy its models on classified networks. Elon Musk's xAI is now the second.
TL;DR
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has given Anthropic until Friday evening to grant the military broad access to its AI models.
- Hegseth threatened to label Anthropic a "supply chain risk" or invoke the Defense Production Act if they fail to comply.
- Negotiations are stalled because Anthropic wants assurances against use in autonomous weapons or mass surveillance, while the DoD wants agreement to all lawful use cases.
- A "supply chain risk" designation typically applies to foreign adversaries and would impact DoD vendors and contractors.
- The Defense Production Act allows the president to control domestic industries for national security.
- Anthropic was the sole AI company cleared for deployment on the DoD's classified networks until Elon Musk's xAI recently became the second.
- Anthropic was awarded a $200 million contract with the DoD last year.
- The White House has had a rocky relationship with Anthropic, with accusations of supporting "woke AI" due to its stance on regulation.
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