Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, is scheduled to meet Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon to discuss the U.S. Department of Defense’s use of the company’s AI models. Negotiations have stalled over terms of use, with Anthropic seeking assurances that its models will not be applied to autonomous weapons or to surveil Americans, while the DoD wants access for all lawful use cases without restriction.
Anthropic is the only AI firm with models deployed on the DoD’s classified networks and provides customized systems for national security customers, following a $200 million contract awarded last year. The meeting could clarify guidelines and establish a framework for continued collaboration.
A spokesperson for Anthropic emphasized the company’s commitment to “using frontier AI in support of U.S. national security” and described ongoing discussions as “productive conversations, in good faith.” Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers, Anthropic is known for its Claude AI models and recently closed a $30 billion funding round, raising its valuation to $380 billion.
