Pentagon Weighs Supply Chain Risk Designation for Anthropic Over Claude AI Use

The U.S. Department of Defense has asked Boeing Co (NYSE: BA) and Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) to assess their reliance on Anthropic’s Claude artificial intelligence model, according to a report from Axios citing sources familiar with the matter. The request signals a potential move to label Anthropic as a “supply chain risk,” a designation typically reserved for firms tied to adversarial nations such as China. Applying this classification to a major U.S.-based AI company would be unprecedented and could have significant implications for the defense and artificial intelligence sectors.

The Pentagon’s scrutiny reportedly stems from Anthropic’s refusal to remove certain safeguards that limit Claude’s use in mass surveillance and autonomous weapons systems. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Tuesday to discuss the issue. Sources indicate the AI startup faces a Friday deadline to comply with the Pentagon’s terms or risk being formally designated as a supply chain risk.

Claude is currently the only AI model deployed within the military’s classified systems, giving Anthropic a unique position in U.S. defense technology infrastructure. However, the Pentagon has recently engaged with other leading AI firms as it evaluates alternative solutions for sensitive government operations.

Earlier this week, Anthropic announced an updated AI safety policy governing the development of its models. While the company did not directly link the policy changes to its discussions with the Department of Defense, a CNN report suggested the update was unrelated to the ongoing dispute.

The situation highlights growing tensions between AI safety standards and national security priorities, raising broader questions about defense contracts, artificial intelligence regulation, and the future role of advanced AI models like Claude in military applications.