Google expands Pentagon AI access after Anthropic rejects surveillance and weapons terms
Google broadens Pentagon access to AI models
Google has granted the U.S. Department of Defense access to its AI models on classified networks, according to multiple reports, moving ahead with a deal that follows Anthropic’s refusal to offer the Pentagon the same terms.
The arrangement appears to give the Defense Department access for “all lawful uses,” though Google’s contract language reportedly includes a caveat that it does not intend for its AI to be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. The Wall Street Journal reported that similar language appears in OpenAI’s Pentagon deal, but it is unclear whether those provisions are legally binding or enforceable.
The move comes after Anthropic publicly resisted the Trump administration’s push for unrestricted military access. Anthropic wanted guardrails to keep its AI from being used for domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, while the Pentagon sought broader rights. That dispute escalated when the Defense Department labeled Anthropic a “supply-chain risk,” a designation usually reserved for foreign adversaries. Anthropic and the DoD are now in a lawsuit over the issue, and a judge last month granted Anthropic an injunction against the designation while the case proceeds.
Google is now the third major AI company to capitalize on Anthropic’s refusal. OpenAI quickly signed a deal with the Pentagon, and xAI followed suit.
The agreement arrives despite internal pushback at Google. According to the report, 950 Google employees have signed an open letter urging the company to follow Anthropic’s lead and refuse Defense Department sales without similar safeguards.
Google did not respond to a request for comment.
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