Pentagon Moves to Blacklist Anthropic as Supply Chain Risk

Rumors about Claude Sonnet 5 continue to circulate online, but Anthropic now faces a far more serious challenge in the United States. The company is reportedly locked in conflict with the U.S. Department of Defense over national security concerns and usage terms.

Pentagon reportedly considers labeling Anthropic a supply chain risk over AI usage dispute

According to reports by Axios, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is close to labeling Anthropic a “supply chain risk.” Such a designation would carry major consequences.

Military contractors could be required to avoid working with Anthropic entirely, and any company seeking U.S. defense contracts may first need to certify that it has no ties to the firm.

The dispute reportedly intensified following claims that Anthropic’s Claude model was used in a U.S. operation involving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Claude is said to be the only AI model currently approved for use in classified U.S. military systems, which raises the stakes significantly.

Pentagon officials have expressed strong frustration over the situation. They argue that Anthropic’s restrictions on military usage create gray areas that limit defense flexibility.

Safety Policies vs. “All Lawful Use”

Anthropic has reportedly grown uncomfortable with unrestricted military deployment of its AI tools. The company is negotiating limits that would prevent uses such as mass surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons systems.

The Defense Department, however, expects access for what it considers “all lawful use.” Officials are reportedly considering cutting off Anthropic despite the complexity of disentangling existing classified systems that rely on Claude.

Anthropic says it continues negotiations with the Pentagon in good faith.

As tensions rise, the Pentagon has entered early discussions with competitors such as OpenAI, Google, and xAI as potential alternatives.

The situation highlights a broader clash between AI safety guardrails and national security priorities. While AI firms aim to enforce ethical constraints, defense agencies seek operational freedom within legal boundaries.

In related developments, Anthropic has recently partnered with the UK Government. At the same time, Microsoft appears to be moving away from OpenAI, while OpenAI has hired the creator of OpenClaw.

Via Neowin