Pentagon makes a 'classified' request to OpenAI and Anthropic, says US military is aiming to …

The Pentagon has reportedly made a ‘classified’ request to artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The US Department of Defence has asked companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to make their AI tools available on classified networks without the standard restrictions that typically apply to users. A report by the news agency Reuters, citing two people familiar with the matter, claimed that Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael announced these US military plans at a White House event this week. He told tech executives of the companies that the goal is to make AI models available in both unclassified and classified domains.The Pentagon is "moving to deploy frontier AI capabilities across all classification levels," an official who requested anonymity told Reuters. The request is part of ongoing negotiations between the Pentagon and generative AI companies on how the US military will use AI on future battlefields that already feature autonomous drone swarms, robots, and cyberattacks. Michael's comments are expected to intensify debate over the military's desire to use AI without restrictions and tech companies' ability to set boundaries around how their tools are deployed.Several AI companies are building custom tools for the US military, with most available only on unclassified networks typically used for military administration. However, one AI company, Anthropic, is available in classified settings through third parties, but the government remains bound by the company's usage policies, the Reuters report added.Classified networks are used to handle sensitive work, including mission planning and weapons targeting. The report could not specify how or when the Pentagon planned to deploy AI chatbots on classified networks.Military officials are seeking to use AI's ability to synthesise information to inform decisions. These tools make mistakes and generate information that may sound plausible at first glance. Such errors in classified settings could have serious consequences, AI researchers claimed.AI companies have sought to reduce risk by building safeguards into their models and asking customers to adhere to specific guidelines. Pentagon officials have objected to such restrictions, arguing that they should be able to deploy commercial AI tools as long as they comply with American law.This week, OpenAI reached a deal with the Pentagon allowing the military to use its tools, including ChatGPT, on an unclassified network called genai.mil, which has been rolled out to more than 3 million Defence Department employees. As part of the deal, OpenAI agreed to remove many of its typical user restrictions, although some guardrails remain. Alphabet's Google and xAI have previously struck similar deals.In a statement, OpenAI said this week's agreement is specific to unclassified use through genai.mil. Expanding on that agreement would require a new or modified agreement, a spokesperson said.However, discussions between OpenAI rival Anthropic and the Pentagon have been more contentious, Reuters previously reported. Anthropic executives have told military officials that they do not want their technology used to target weapons autonomously and conduct US domestic surveillance. In a statement to Reuters, an Anthropic spokesperson said, “Anthropic is committed to protecting America's lead in AI and helping the U.S. government counter foreign threats by giving our warfighters access to the most advanced AI capabilities. Claude is already extensively used for national security missions by the US government, and we are in productive discussions with the Department of War about ways to continue that work."US President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Defence to rename itself the Department of War, a change that will require congressional action.