The Pentagon recently awarded contracts worth up to $200 million to AI firms, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and xAI.

However, Anthropic’s safety restrictions on its Claude model have reportedly led to friction with the United States Department of Defense.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has allegedly warned that AI tools embedded in military infrastructure must not refuse lawful orders.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has built the company’s brand around AI safety, arguing that some lines should not be crossed — even in defense contexts.

The outcome of this standoff could influence the future structure of America’s military-AI partnerships and redefine how ethical constraints operate in national security systems.