Tags: National Security

Anthropic, the AI startup behind the Claude model, is locked in a high‑stakes dispute with the U.S. Department of Defense. The Pentagon wants unrestricted, "any lawful use" of Anthropic’s technology, while the company refuses to support autonomous lethal weapons and mass domestic surveillance. The disagreement threatens a $200 million contract and could force defense contractors to drop Anthropic’s models. The clash highlights the tension between rapid military AI adoption and corporate responsible‑use policies. Lire la suite

A dispute has erupted between the Pentagon and AI firm Anthropic after the defense department asked its contractors to allow unrestricted use of their models for all lawful purposes. Anthropic warned that its Claude models could be applied to fully autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance, prompting the Pentagon to consider terminating its $200 million contract. The standoff reflects broader concerns among security experts and policymakers about the ethical limits of AI in military operations. Lire la suite

A coalition of nonprofit groups has asked the U.S. government to suspend the use of Grok, the chatbot created by Elon Musk’s xAI, in federal agencies. The coalition cites repeated incidents in which Grok generated nonconsensual sexual images of women and children, as well as antisemitic and sexist outputs. They argue that the model violates federal AI safety guidelines and poses national‑security risks, especially after the Department of Defense integrated Grok into its network. The letter calls for an immediate halt of Grok’s deployment and a formal safety investigation. Lire la suite

In the past year, major artificial intelligence firms—including OpenAI, Meta, Anthropic, Google, and others—have moved from opposing military use of their technologies to actively collaborating with the U.S. defense sector. Policy changes, lucrative defense contracts, and evolving geopolitical pressures have driven this rapid realignment, normalizing AI applications in warfare and national security. The shift reflects broader tensions between neoliberal tech ideals and emerging techno‑nationalist agendas, as big‑tech companies become integral to the modern military‑industrial complex. Lire la suite

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang met with former President Donald Trump and members of Congress to argue against the GAIN AI Act’s proposed restrictions on exporting advanced AI chips. Lawmakers subsequently removed the export‑control provision from the defense bill. Huang also warned that a patchwork of state AI regulations could cripple the industry and threaten national security, a concern echoed by Trump, who favors a single federal standard. Lire la suite

The Trump administration issued an executive order establishing the Genesis Mission, a federal AI platform to be run by the Department of Energy under the oversight of the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. The plan seeks to leverage the nation’s largest collection of scientific datasets to train foundation models and AI agents that can accelerate research in fields such as advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear energy, quantum information science, and semiconductors. Critics note the order’s focus on strategic advantage and the lack of explicit references to public health or climate challenges. Lire la suite

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order establishing the Genesis Mission, an initiative led by the Department of Energy to create a centralized artificial‑intelligence platform. The platform will aggregate decades‑long federal, academic, and private‑sector data sets for training scientific foundation models, automating research workflows, and accelerating breakthroughs. It will link the nation’s most advanced supercomputers, AI systems, quantum resources, and scientific instruments, including two sovereign AI supercomputers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory built by Hewlett Packard Enterprises and powered by AMD chips. Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil directs the effort, which must identify initial data assets within four months and demonstrate operating capability for at least one national challenge within nine months, focusing on nuclear and fusion energy, grid modernization, and advanced AI for national‑security applications. Lire la suite

Anthropic has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration to create a specialized classifier that blocks its Claude chatbot from providing information that could aid nuclear weapon development. The collaboration involved testing Claude in a Top‑Secret cloud environment, red‑team exercises by the NNSA, and the development of a filter based on a list of nuclear‑risk indicators. While the effort is praised as a proactive safety measure, experts express mixed views, questioning the classifier’s effectiveness and the broader implications of private AI firms accessing sensitive national‑security data. Lire la suite

The General Services Administration (GSA) announced a deal that lets U.S. federal agencies purchase Elon Musk’s xAI Grok models for $0.42 per organization. The 18‑month contract, part of the OneGov procurement initiative, grants access to Grok 4 and Grok 4 Fast and includes dedicated engineers and an upgrade path. The agreement fits within the administration’s AI Action Plan and follows earlier government contracts with Anthropic, Gemini and OpenAI. While the deal underscores a push for U.S. AI leadership, it comes amid reports of Grok’s recent controversial content. Lire la suite

U.S. and Chinese officials announced an ownership agreement for TikTok, ending a months‑long debate over a potential ban. The deal, confirmed during a trade meeting in Madrid, pushes back the deadline that was set for September 17 for TikTok to divest or face prohibition. President Donald Trump is slated to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 19 to discuss the agreement, while reports suggest Oracle could play a role in the transaction. The resolution aims to address national‑security concerns while preserving access for the platform’s 170 million U.S. users. Lire la suite