Pentagon vs. Anthropic: Due to disputes about the use of Claude in military operations, the company loses government contracts.

Trump announced renunciation of Anthropic due to disagreements in AI technology application

The administration of US President Donald Trump announced the termination of cooperation with the company Anthropic, which developed the AI model Claude. This decision was made due to conflicts over the use of technology for military purposes.

In the summer of 2025, Anthropic signed a contract with the US worth up to 200 million dollars, which envisaged the integration of the Claude model into the work of the Department of Defense. However, tensions rose following the use of the system during the operation to capture Nicolás Maduro in January 2026. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth summoned Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei to the Pentagon, demanding full access to the Claude model without restrictions. This was rejected by the company, which insisted on exceptions regarding mass internal surveillance and the use of autonomous weapons.

Subsequently, President Trump implemented a six-month transition period for other agencies to phase out Anthropic’s services. On February 28, the Pentagon announced its intention to classify Anthropic as a risk to the supply chain, which will prohibit the use of Claude in defense contracts.

In response, Anthropic, with shareholder support, intends to challenge this decision in court, arguing that such restrictions threaten the principles of openness and safety of artificial intelligence developed for peaceful purposes.

Meanwhile, competitor company OpenAI concluded its own agreement with the US government, which established principles for ensuring arms control and prohibiting mass surveillance, potentially ushering in a new phase in the relationship between American tech firms and the Pentagon.

Despite financial and political difficulties, Anthropic’s popularity is growing. According to CNBC, the number of free users has increased by more than 60% since January, and Claude has become the leader in the rankings of free applications in the US App Store, surpassing even Apple’s ChatGPT.