Elon Musk's xAI sends 'throw Anthropic' message to 'angry' Pentagon; says: We will …
Times of India
by TOI TECH DESKFebruary 24, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has inked a deal with the Pentagon to provide its advanced Grok AI model for use in highly classified military systems. This move comes amid heightened tensions between the Department of Defense and Anthropic, the maker of the Claude AI system, which has been the primary tool for sensitive operations like weapons development and battlefield tactics. The Pentagon is seeking alternatives due to disputes over ethical and safety concerns with Anthropic.
The crux of the disagreement lies in legal standards: the Pentagon demands that AI technologies be usable for "all lawful purposes," while Anthropic has refused, citing restrictions on mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. xAI, however, has agreed to these terms, positioning itself as a potential primary alternative to Claude. This shift could have significant implications for the future of military AI integration.
Despite the Pentagon’s eagerness to move away from Anthropic, experts note that replacing Claude will be challenging due to its deep integration into existing systems. For instance, during the recent Venezuelan raid involving President Nicolás Maduro, Anthropic worked with Palantir to provide critical support. Now, the Pentagon is accelerating discussions with other tech giants like Google and OpenAI to fill the void left by Claude.
Google’s Gemini AI model is reported to be close to a deal for use in classified systems, while OpenAI’s involvement has reignited interest despite complex safety concerns surrounding its ChatGPT technology. Both companies are expected to comply with the "all lawful purposes" criteria, aligning with the Pentagon’s requirements.
This situation highlights the broader competition among tech giants to supply AI tools for military applications and underscores the ethical dilemmas involved in developing such technologies. As global powers increasingly rely on AI for national security, the stakes of these negotiations—and the potential consequences—are higher than ever.
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Originally published on Times of India on 2/24/2026