Pentagon official details how talks with Anthropic fell apart

Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael described how talks between the Pentagon and Anthropic broke down, culminating in the department formally designating the company and its products as a supply chain risk — the first time that label has been applied to a US firm.

Michael said the Defense Department was "scared" that Anthropic could shut off access to its AI during a critical moment and that he raised his concerns with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Michael recounted two pivotal episodes. He said Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei suggested the impasse could be bridged with a phone call, even during "a decisive moment," telling him, "Just call me if you need another exception." Michael described presenting "Golden Dome scenarios" tied to missile defense and said he would not rely on calling a company in the middle of a crisis.

The other flashpoint came after a targeted raid on Venezuela.

United States

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