President Trump issued a directive on Truth Social on February 27, mandating all federal agencies to halt use of Anthropic’s technology immediately due to ongoing disputes between the Department of Defense and the AI firm. Hours later, U.S. forces executed a major airstrike on Iran, utilizing Anthropic’s AI tools in the operation.
Phased Transition for Federal Agencies
Trump’s announcement included a six-month phase-out timeline for entities like the Department of Defense that depend on Anthropic products, including its Claude model. Agencies must fully transition away from this technology over time.
Not the First Military Application
This incident follows prior use of Anthropic’s Claude AI in a key operation that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Shift to Alternative AI Providers
The Department of Defense is now pivoting to other options, with agreements in place to integrate models from xAI and OpenAI into federal networks. Experts estimate it will take several months to fully replace Anthropic’s Claude systems.
