Pentagon used Anthropic's Claude during Maduro raid
Friday, February 13, 2026
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The US military utilized Anthropic's Claude AI model during the operation to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, with sources indicating the AI's role was in active operation, not just preparation, and was used to analyze data in real-time.
Anthropic, positioning itself as a safety-first AI leader, is negotiating with the Pentagon to ensure its technology is not used for mass surveillance of Americans or to operate fully autonomous weapons, with a spokesperson stating that "any use of Claude... is required to comply with our Usage Policies".
The Pentagon's use of Claude highlights the growing tensions between AI labs and the military, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushing for rapid AI integration, while Anthropic and other AI giants like OpenAI and Google navigate the risks and limitations of their technologies in classified systems.
