Pentagon Deploys xAI Grok After Standoff With Anthropic

The United States Department of Defense signed an agreement with Elon Musk's xAI to deploy the Grok AI model within classified military systems. Grok will be used for intelligence analysis, battlefield planning, and weapons development, expanding a partnership established in December. This move follows a deteriorating relationship between the Pentagon and Anthropic, which previously served as the sole provider for these sensitive environments.

The conflict centers on the Pentagon's demand that AI models be available for all lawful purposes, including mass surveillance and the development of fully autonomous weapons systems. While xAI agreed to this standard, Anthropic resisted, citing ethical concerns regarding autonomous armed drones and the surveillance of Americans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued an ultimatum to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, warning that the company could be labeled a supply chain risk if it does not remove its safeguards.

Despite the new deal with xAI, officials acknowledged that replacing Anthropic's Claude model remains technically complex because Grok is not currently as reliable or cutting-edge. Consequently, the transition will occur gradually. Simultaneously, the Pentagon is accelerating negotiations with Google and OpenAI to bring Gemini and ChatGPT into classified networks, requiring both firms to commit to the same all lawful purposes standard.