The military deployed the AI system to analyse intelligence, identify potential targets, and run combat scenario simulations, the report added. The US military, along with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), launched a coordinated strike on Iran in the early hours of Saturday. Hours later, Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which was confirmed on Sunday by Iranian authorities.
Why this matters
The strike began hours after Trump branded Anthropic a “radical left and woke company” and directed all federal agencies to cease using its AI tools.
“I am directing every federal agency in the United States government to immediately cease all use of Anthropic’s technology. We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again! There will be a six-month phase-out period for agencies like the Department of War who are using Anthropic’s products, at various levels. Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the full power of the presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow,” Trump said in post on Truth Social on Friday.
Adding to it, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Anthropic of “arrogance and betrayal”, saying that “America’s warfighters will never be held hostage by the ideological whims of Big Tech”. “Anthropic will continue to provide the Department of War its services for a period of no more than six months to allow for a seamless transition,” he said.
Claude was also deployed by the US military in its raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. Its use came under scrutiny after Anthropic protested against employing the AI tool for violent ends, to develop weapons, or for mass surveillance. In an interview with CBS News, Anthropic chief executive officer (CEO) Dario Amodei said that the company remains open to collaborating with the US Department of Defence, provided any engagement adheres to its defined boundaries.
OpenAI steps in
“Tonight, we reached an agreement with the Department of War (DoW) to deploy our models in their classified network. In all of our interactions, the DoW displayed a deep respect for safety and a desire to partner to achieve the best possible outcome. AI safety and wide distribution of benefits are the core of our mission,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on Sunday.
“Two of our most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force, including for autonomous weapon systems. The DoW agrees with these principles, reflects them in law and policy, and we put them into our agreement,” he added.
