Hegseth, Anthropic CEO Meet Over the Military's Use of AI
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth intends to hold a meeting with the CEO of Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company that is unique in its decision to withhold its technology from a new internal network for the US military.
The company Anthropic, creator of the chatbot Claude, has refrained from providing a comment regarding the meeting. However, CEO Dario Amodei has expressed his ethical qualms regarding the unrestricted utilization of AI by governments, specifically highlighting the risks associated with autonomous armed drones and AI-driven mass surveillance capable of monitoring dissenting voices.
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The meeting between Hegseth and Amodei was verified by a defense official who was not permitted to speak publicly and requested anonymity. This situation highlights the ongoing discussion regarding the involvement of AI in matters of national security and the potential risks associated with its use in critical situations involving lethal actions, confidential data, or government surveillance.
Additionally, this issue arises as Hegseth has made a commitment to eradicate what he perceives as a "woke culture" within the military. The Pentagon made an announcement during the previous summer regarding the awarding of defense contracts to four artificial intelligence (AI) firms. These firms include Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and Elon Musk's xAI.
The value of each contract can reach up to $200 million. Anthropic was the inaugural artificial intelligence company permitted access to classified military networks, collaborating with partners including Palantir.
At present, the remaining three companies are solely engaging in activities within unclassified environments.
Early this year, Hegseth began to emphasize only two particular concepts: xAI and Google. In a speech at SpaceX, a space flight company owned by Elon Musk, located in South Texas, the defense secretary expressed his disregard for artificial intelligence models that hinder military combat capabilities.
Hegseth said his vision for military AI systems means that they operate "without ideological constraints that limit lawful military applications," before adding that the Pentagon's "AI will not be woke”.
In January, Hegseth announced that Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok would be integrated into the Pentagon network known as GenAI.mil. This declaration followed closely on the heels of Grok's controversial activity on X, Musk's social media platform, where it created explicit deepfake images of individuals without their permission, garnering widespread attention.
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In early February, OpenAI made an announcement regarding its decision to participate in the military's secure AI platform, which will allow service members to utilize a specialized adaptation of ChatGPT for tasks that do not involve classified information. Anthropic has positioned itself as a reputable and safety-conscious AI company, distinguishing itself from others in the industry. This reputation has been established since the founders left OpenAI to establish the company in 2021.
According to Owen Daniels, an associate director of analysis and fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, the uncertainty surrounding the Pentagon is challenging the implementation of those plans.
During the surge of interest in artificial intelligence that ensued after ChatGPT's launch, Anthropic collaborated closely with the administration of President Joe Biden by offering to undergo external assessment of its AI technology as a precaution against potential national security threats.
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The CEO, Amodei, has expressed concerns about the potentially disastrous consequences of AI, but he has dismissed being characterized as an AI pessimist. In a recent essay, he stated that the threats posed by AI are closer to becoming a reality in 2026 compared to 2023, emphasizing the importance of managing these risks in a practical and sensible way.
This is not the first instance in which Anthropic has found itself in disagreement with the Trump administration due to its advocacy for more stringent regulations surrounding AI technology.
Publicly, Anthropic called out chip manufacturer Nvidia, expressing disapproval of President Trump's initiatives to relax export restrictions to permit the sale of certain AI chips in China. Despite this public criticism, Anthropic continues to maintain a strong partnership with Nvidia.