Internal Pentagon memo orders military commanders to remove Anthropic AI technology from key systems
Internal Pentagon memo orders military commanders to remove Anthropic AI technology from key systems
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-ai-anthropic-memo-remove-from-key-systems/
Publish Date: 2026-03-10 19:08:00
Source Domain: www.cbsnews.com
* The Department of Defense has directed senior leadership within the U.S. military to remove Anthropic’s AI products from all systems within 180 days, labeling Anthropic a supply chain risk.
* The mandate includes military systems related to nuclear weapons, ballistic missile defense, and cyber warfare.
* The memo, signed by Defense Department Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies, asserts that adversaries could exploit vulnerabilities, potentially causing catastrophic risks to warfighters.
* The memo stipulates that exceptions for using Anthropic AI are only permissible for mission-critical national security operations, with comprehensive risk mitigation plans.
* This move is unusual as it marks the first time an American company has been officially designated a supply chain risk, highlighting a sharp break with previous administrations.
* Anthropic has filed lawsuits against the federal government, alleging the designation constitutes illegal retaliation for the company’s protected speech.
* Anthropic had been opposed to the military’s use of its AI models for mass surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons.
* The AI in question, Claude, is currently used by the military in analyzing large intelligence datasets, and the military reportedly uses AI to process and strike targets at unprecedented speeds.
