Defense Secretary Hegseth to Meet with Anthropic CEO Over Military's AI Use

Debate intensifies over the military's use of AI technology, with Anthropic the only major AI company not supplying its tech to the Pentagon's new internal network.

Feb. 24, 2026 at 10:03am

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Tuesday, as the debate over the military's use of artificial intelligence technology intensifies. Anthropic, maker of the chatbot Claude, is the only major AI company that has not supplied its technology to the Pentagon's new internal AI network, known as GenAI.mil. The meeting underscores concerns about how powerful AI systems could be used in high-stakes situations involving lethal force, sensitive information, or government surveillance.

Why it matters

The meeting between Hegseth and Amodei highlights the ongoing debate over the role of AI in national security and the potential dangers of unchecked government use of the technology. Anthropic has taken a more cautious approach, with CEO Amodei voicing concerns about the risks of fully autonomous armed drones and AI-assisted mass surveillance that could track dissent. This puts the company at odds with the Pentagon's push to adopt AI systems without 'ideological constraints' that limit military applications.

The details

Anthropic was the first AI company to get approved for classified military networks, where it works with partners like Palantir. However, the other major AI companies, including Google, OpenAI, and Elon Musk's xAI, are currently only operating in unclassified environments. Hegseth has vowed to root out what he calls a 'woke culture' in the armed forces, and has highlighted xAI and Google as the two AI companies he is working with, while downplaying Anthropic's involvement.

  • The meeting between Hegseth and Amodei is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
  • In January 2023, Hegseth said Musk's AI chatbot Grok would join the Pentagon's GenAI.mil network.
  • In early February 2023, OpenAI announced it would also join the military's secure AI platform.

The players

Pete Hegseth

The current U.S. Defense Secretary who has vowed to root out what he calls a 'woke culture' in the armed forces and is pushing for the military to adopt AI systems without 'ideological constraints'.

Dario Amodei

The CEO of Anthropic, an AI company that has declined to supply its technology to the Pentagon's new internal AI network, citing ethical concerns about the unchecked government use of AI.

Anthropic

An artificial intelligence company that makes the chatbot Claude and has taken a more cautious approach to working with the military, in contrast to its peers like Google, OpenAI, and xAI.

GenAI.mil

The Pentagon's new internal AI network that several major AI companies, including xAI and OpenAI, have agreed to supply their technology to.

Grok

An AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's company xAI that was announced to be joining the Pentagon's GenAI.mil network in January 2023.

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What they’re saying

“A powerful AI looking across billions of conversations from millions of people could gauge public sentiment, detect pockets of disloyalty forming, and stamp them out before they grow.”

— Dario Amodei, CEO, Anthropic (Anthropic essay)

“Anthropic's peers, including Meta, Google and xAI, have been willing to comply with the department's policy on using models for all lawful applications. So the company's bargaining power here is limited, and it risks losing influence in the department's push to adopt AI.”

— Owen Daniels, Associate Director of Analysis and Fellow, Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology

What’s next

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The takeaway

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