US Military Allegedly Employed Claude in Operations Against Iran Despite Trump’s Prohibition

Recent reports indicate that the U.S. military utilized Claude, Anthropic’s artificial intelligence model, to assist in its military operations against Iran. This took place in the wake of Donald Trump’s announcement earlier that day to cut all ties with the company and its AI technologies.

The deployment of Claude during the extensive collaborative assault by the U.S. and Israel, which commenced on Saturday, was highlighted by the Wall Street Journal and Axios. This situation sheds light on the complexities involved in withdrawing advanced AI technologies from military operations, especially when such tools have become deeply integrated into strategic initiatives.

Reports from the Journal indicate that the U.S. military employed Claude for various intelligence tasks, helping to identify targets and conduct battlefield simulations, which are critical in modern military operations.

On the preceding Friday, just hours before the operations against Iran commenced, Trump ordered all federal agencies to cease using Claude immediately. He publicly criticized Anthropic on Truth Social, labeling the company as a “Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about.”

This controversy escalated following the utilization of Claude by the U.S. military in a mission geared towards capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier in January. Anthropic contested this usage, citing its terms of service, which expressly prohibit Claude’s involvement in violent actions, the development of weaponry, or surveillance initiatives.

Since that incident, the relationship among Trump, the Pentagon, and Anthropic has been strained. In a detailed statement posted on X on Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized Anthropic for what he termed “arrogance and betrayal,” emphasizing that “America’s warfighters will never be held hostage by the ideological whims of Big Tech.”

Hegseth insisted on total and unrestricted access to all of Anthropic’s AI models for lawful military applications.

Yet, he also acknowledged the practical difficulties associated with quickly removing military systems interfaced with Claude, given its widespread deployment. Hegseth indicated that Anthropic would continue to supply its services for a maximum of six months to ensure a smooth transition to other, more dependable AI providers.

In light of the severed ties with Anthropic, another competitor, OpenAI, has emerged as a key player to fill the vacated space. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, confirmed a new agreement with the Pentagon, allowing the use of the company’s technologies—including ChatGPT—within the military’s classified network.