The US Department of Defence on Friday signed agreements with several of the country’s largest artificial intelligence companies to bring advanced AI systems into classified military networks. With this move, the Pentagon aims to expand the use of artificial intelligence in defence and intelligence operations.
The Pentagon announced on Friday that companies including OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, SpaceX and Reflection AI agreed to deploy AI technology for what officials called “lawful operational use” inside highly classified defence department systems.
The Pentagon later said Oracle is also part of the arrangement.
The agreements will allow AI systems to operate inside the defence department’s impact level 6 and impact level 7 classified networks. These networks handle some of the military’s most sensitive information and operations, reported The Hill.
According to the Pentagon, the technology will help “streamline data synthesis, elevate situational understanding, and augment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments.”
Officials did not provide detailed information about exactly how the AI tools will be used. Defense officials believe AI can improve battlefield awareness, strengthen intelligence gathering and help commanders make faster decisions during conflicts.
Why is Pentagon expanding military AI use?
The Pentagon has spent years testing artificial intelligence for defense purposes, but recent advances in AI models pushed the military to speed up adoption.
Several companies involved in the new agreements already have relationships with the Defense Department. Google, OpenAI and Elon Musk’s SpaceX previously signed contracts linked to classified military networks and defense technologies.
The Pentagon wants AI systems that can handle massive amounts of intelligence data, identify patterns quickly and support military planning in real time. Officials also believe AI can reduce pressure on human analysts who often review huge volumes of information during operations.
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, supported the agreements in a post on X. “We are committed to ensuring our warfighters have the best tools at their disposal,” Kratsios wrote.
Why is Anthropic not part of agreement?
One of the biggest surprises in the Pentagon announcement was the absence of Anthropic, one of the leading artificial intelligence firms in the United States.
Earlier this year, the Pentagon designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk after disagreements over safety rules and military use of AI systems.
According to reports, Anthropic objected to allowing its AI models to be used for domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons without human oversight. The Pentagon, however, wanted broader rights to use the technology for what it described as “any lawful purpose.”
The dispute became controversial during a Senate hearing on Thursday when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized the company. Hegseth told lawmakers that Anthropic would not agree to the Pentagon’s “terms of service.” He compared the disagreement to “Boeing giving us airplanes and telling us who we can shoot at.”
He also slammed Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei and called him an “ideological lunatic.”
Anthropic recently released Mythos, its most advanced AI model so far. Reports also suggested the White House is considering new guidance that may allow government agencies to bypass the company’s earlier supply chain risk designation.