President Donald Trump has indicated that a deal allowing Anthropic’s artificial intelligence models to be used by the Department of Defense could be on the horizon. Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Trump described recent White House discussions with the AI startup as productive, noting, ‘They’re very smart, and I think they can be of great use.’
This marks a potential reversal of fortunes for Anthropic, which faced a severe setback in March when the Pentagon labeled it a supply chain risk over national security concerns. That designation forced defense contractors to certify they weren’t using Anthropic’s Claude AI models in military projects.
Tensions escalated further when Trump ordered all federal agencies to cease using the company’s technology via a Truth Social post, though a federal judge temporarily blocked the directive.
Despite the earlier friction, recent engagements suggest a thaw in relations. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with senior administration officials, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, last week to discuss the company’s new Mythos model, which boasts advanced cybersecurity capabilities. A White House spokesperson called the meeting ‘productive and constructive,’ while Amodei also joined a call with Vice President JD Vance in early April to discuss AI cyber readiness.
The roots of the conflict trace back to a $200 million contract signed with the Pentagon in July 2025. Negotiations for deploying Claude on the DOD’s GenAI.mil platform collapsed in September when the Defense Department demanded unrestricted access to Anthropic’s models for all lawful purposes. Anthropic, in turn, sought guarantees against using its tech for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, leading to a deadlock.
Even amid the dispute, the Pentagon has continued using Claude during the ongoing conflict with Iran. Anthropic also took legal action, filing lawsuits in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., to overturn its blacklisting.
The launch of Mythos early in April, restricted to select companies due to its specialized capabilities, appears to have reignited government interest. Anthropic confirmed ongoing discussions with U.S. officials about the model, which could play a pivotal role in any future agreement.
A resolution could reshape Anthropic’s trajectory in the defense sector, particularly given Amazon’s recent commitment to provide up to 5 gigawatts of compute power for Claude models. With talks seemingly back on track, the potential deal’s value and scope remain a focal point as negotiations progress.
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