The US Defense Department has struck a new Pentagon AI deal with some of the world’s largest technology companies, a major boost to the military’s effort to integrate artificial intelligence into warfare. One of the most prominent players in the industry, Anthropic, is missing from the list.
Announced on Friday, the agreement brings together companies including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon Web Services and SpaceX to deploy AI tools in classified defense networks.
According to the Pentagon, the software will enable “legitimate operational uses” and help transform the US military into an “AI-first fighting force”.
Its objective is to increase the speed of decision making and ensure advantage on contemporary battlefields.
The department said its own platform, called GenAI.mil, has been used by more than 1.3 million personnel. This shows how rapidly artificial intelligence is being adopted in defense infrastructure.
On the other hand, Anthropic’s exclusion is due to disagreement over the potential use of their AI systems. The company particularly emphasized rigorous security protocols for autonomous weapons and surveillance.
After negotiations broke down, the Trump administration labeled Anthropic a “supply chain risk”, effectively blocking it from government contracts. The move put the company in a category usually reserved for foreign-related threats.
The company contested the decision in court, and a California judge recently ruled against enforcing the blacklist. Despite strained relations, talks between the company and the White House have recently resumed.
The revival of conversation followed the launch of Anthropic’s Mythos, a software application that detects cybersecurity threats and can also map strategies for attacks.
The AI ​​deal struck by the Pentagon highlights the growing rivalry among tech industry players in winning defense contracts.
