Pentagon stops using Anthropic AI tools after blacklisting company, BBC told

The US Department of Defence is no longer using Anthropic's AI tools, an official has told the BBC, months after it designated the company a supply chain risk on national security grounds.

The Pentagon "has ceased the use of Anthropic products", the department official said in a statement on Monday.

Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth labelled Anthropic a supply chain risk in February, and announced that the Pentagon would stop using it by late August. It is not clear why there has been a delay.

Multiple people familiar with the matter told the BBC that as recently as last week Anthopic's Claude model was still being used by the department in research, analysis and intelligence gathering as well as in military operations against Iran.

It was viewed as a critical tool for sorting through vast quantities of information, the people said. They include former US defence officials and contractors who have worked closely with the Pentagon specifically on AI.

A spokesman for Anthropic declined to comment when asked about the Pentagon's statement.

The details of the department stopping all use of Anthropic's tools have not been previously reported.

The firm had been used by the US government and military since 2024 and was the first advanced AI company to have its tools deployed in government agencies doing classified work.

But earlier this year, the Pentagon pressed it to remove its safety guardrails from Claude and give the military unfettered access to its AI products.

When Anthropic refused, citing concerns of mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, Hegseth designated the company a "national security supply-chain risk" - a law typically reserved for companies based in countries that pose a threat to the US.

Anthropic said the move was "unprecedented and unlawful" and has sued the Trump administration in an effort to overturn the designation.

As this legal fight has played out in the courts, the Pentagon has signed contracts with other major tech companies, including Google, xAI and OpenAI.