Pentagon ends use of Anthropic AI tools after supply chain risk designation

The US Department of Defence has stopped using artificial intelligence tools made by Anthropic, a department official told the BBC, months after the company was formally designated a supply chain risk on national security grounds.

The official said in a statement on Monday that the Pentagon has ceased the use of Anthropic products. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had labelled Anthropic a supply chain risk in February and said at the time that the department would stop using it by late August, though the reason for the delay beyond that deadline is unclear.

Several people familiar with the matter, including former US defence officials and contractors who have worked closely with the Pentagon on AI, told the BBC that as recently as last week Anthropic's Claude model was still in use within the department for research, analysis and intelligence gathering, as well as in military operations against Iran. These sources said the tool had been regarded as important for processing large volumes of information.

A spokesman for Anthropic declined to comment when asked about the Pentagon's statement. The full details of the department's withdrawal from using all Anthropic tools have not previously been made public.