White House Orders Speed-Up of AI for National Security, Demands Pentagon Test Systems Before Public Release
The Trump administration will accelerate development and deployment of AI across military and intelligence operations while requiring leading AI developers to submit their most capable models for government cybersecurity testing before public release.
President Donald Trump issued a national security memorandum Friday directing the effort. He said the technology must align with American values and cannot be used for unlawful surveillance or censoring free speech.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has 90 days to update Pentagon guidance on autonomous weapons systems to ensure AI adoption respects the chain of command. The memorandum also directs the government to work with multiple AI vendors to avoid depending on a single provider.
Conflict With Anthropic Escalates
The move escalates a standoff between the Pentagon and Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude. The Pentagon imposed a formal supply-chain risk designation on Anthropic in March after the company refused to remove restrictions on Claude's use in autonomous weapons and mass surveillance systems.
Anthropic argued its safeguards aligned with responsible AI development. The Pentagon countered that it should be able to use any technology as long as it complies with U.S. law.
The designation marked an unusual rebuke of an American tech company the Pentagon had relied on to support military operations, including in Iran.
What Comes Next
Trump said he plans to meet with AI executives as soon as next week. Anthropic did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the memorandum or the planned meeting.
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the memorandum ensures no entity can disable or degrade AI systems that military personnel depend on without prior approval.
For IT and development professionals, understanding AI for IT & Development and the specific guardrails around systems like Claude will become increasingly relevant as government policy shapes how these tools are deployed.
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