NSA access comes despite Pentagon dispute

The National Security Agency is using Anthropic’s new Mythos Preview AI model, according to a report from Axios citing two people familiar with the matter. The development is notable because it comes amid a months-long feud between Anthropic and the Pentagon over military safeguards and government access.

Anthropic unveiled Mythos Preview at the start of April, describing it as a general-purpose language model that is “strikingly capable at computer security tasks.” Axios reported that the NSA is among roughly 40 organizations given access to the model, and one of its sources said it is “being used more widely within the department” as well.

The report lands just days after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and other officials to discuss Mythos, Reuters reported. The White House later described the Friday meeting as “productive and constructive,” while President Trump told reporters he had “no idea” about it.

The NSA use also adds a new wrinkle to Anthropic’s fraught relationship with the federal government. In February, Trump ordered government agencies to stop using Anthropic’s services after the company refused to relax certain safeguards for military uses during contract negotiations.

That standoff has since spilled into court. In March, Anthropic filed lawsuits against the Department of Defense in two courts after the Trump administration labeled the company a “supply chain risk.” The Pentagon responded shortly afterward. One court granted Anthropic a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocked the designation, while judges in the other case denied its request to remove the label.

For now, the NSA’s reported use of Mythos Preview suggests that, despite the public clash, parts of the US government are still moving ahead with Anthropic’s newest model.

Sources:

engadget.com