Google has granted the U.S. Department of Defense access to its AI for classified networks, essentially allowing all lawful uses, according to multiple news reports.
This deal follows Anthropic’s public stand against the Trump administration after the model maker refused to grant the DoD the same terms. The Pentagon wanted unrestricted use of AI, whereas Anthropic wanted guardrails to prevent its AI from being used for domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.
Because Anthropic refused those use cases, the DoD branded the model maker a “supply-chain risk” — a designation normally reserved for foreign adversaries. Anthropic and the DoD are now embroiled in a lawsuit, with a judge last month granting Anthropic an injunction against the designation while the case proceeds.
Google marks the third AI company to try and turn Anthropic’s loss into its own gain. OpenAI immediately signed a deal with the DoD, as did xAI. Google’s agreement includes some language saying that it doesn’t intend for its AI to be used for domestic mass surveillance or in autonomous weapons, The Wall Street Journal reports, which is similar to contract language with OpenAI. But it is unclear whether such provisions are legally binding or enforceable, per the WSJ.
Google entered this deal even though 950 of its employees have signed an open letter asking it to follow Anthropic’s lead and not sell AI to the Defense Department without similar guardrails. Google did not respond to a request for comment.
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Stay tuned for updates on google expands pentagon access to its as the story develops. Related: Pentagon inks deals with Nvidia, Microsoft, and AWS to deploy AI on classified networks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Google granted the US Department of Defense access to its AI for classified networks, essentially allowing all lawful uses, according to multiple news reports.
Anthropic refused because the Pentagon wanted unrestricted use of AI, while Anthropic wanted guardrails to prevent its AI from being used for domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. The DoD branded Anthropic a supply-chain risk, and the two are now embroiled in a lawsuit with an injunction granted against the designation.
OpenAI immediately signed a deal with the DoD, as did xAI, making Google the third AI company to turn Anthropic's loss into its own gain.
No, 950 Google employees signed an open letter asking the company to follow Anthropic's lead and not sell AI to the Defense Department without similar guardrails.
