- The US military reportedly used Anthropic's AI tools during strikes on Iran despite Trump's ban on their use
- Anthropic's AI, Claude, was also used in the operation capturing Venezuelan President Maduro
- Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's AI and gave Pentagon six months to phase out
The US government reportedly used Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools from the San Francisco-based startup Anthropic during the strikes on Iran - hours after President Donald Trump directed his federal agencies to stop the company's AI system use.
The US Central Command in the Middle East used Anthropic's tools for intelligence assessments, target identification, and simulating battle scenarios, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Claude AI was also reportedly used in the US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Trump's big move against Anthropic came on Friday as the company's CEO, Dario Amodei, rejected the Pentagon's demands to allow the military unrestricted use of its AI technology. He ordered most agencies to immediately stop Anthropic's AI use, but gave the Pentagon a six-month period to phase out the technology that is already embedded in military platforms.
"We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again!" Trump said in a post on social media, calling Anthropic's decision a "disastrous mistake". He also called those working at Anthropic "left-wing nut jobs" and said their "selfishness is putting American lives at risk and the national security in jeopardy".
Rejected Demands, AI-Use Halt, Warnings: All About Anthropic Vs Team Trump
According to the Republican leader, Anthropic made a mistake trying to strong-arm the Pentagon.
Anthropic hits back
Anthropic is planning to challenge the Trump administration's decision to label it a "supply chain risk" in court - making it one of the few companies to directly do so in the US President's second term.
The AI company, in a statement, said that "no amount of intimidation or punishment from the Department of War" will change their position on mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. "We will challenge any supply chain risk designation in court," it said.
Anthropic explained that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's supply chain risk designation will only apply to the use of Claude in Department of War contracts, and other operations will remain unaffected. "We believe this designation would both be legally unsound and set a dangerous precedent for any American company that negotiates with the government," it said.
