The Defense Department has informed senior officials that artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic could remain in use past the previously established six-month elimination timeline under exceptional circumstances related to national security, according to internal documentation obtained by Reuters.
The guidance, dated March 6 and bearing the signature of Pentagon Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies, specifies that such exceptions may be granted “in rare and extraordinary circumstances” and “will only be considered for mission-critical activities directly supporting national security operations where no viable alternative exists.”
Defense units requesting such exceptions must provide detailed risk reduction strategies for review and approval, the document states. CBS News initially disclosed the memo’s existence.
Pentagon officials acknowledged the memo’s authenticity but refused additional commentary. Anthropic representatives have not yet responded to inquiries.
Government contracting attorney Franklin Turner from McCarter & English suggested the exception provision reflects the practical difficulties of enforcing the prohibition. “I do expect to see a flurry of waiver requests,” Turner stated.
The guidance represents a “recognition of the fact that it’s really hard for most vendors to certify they have removed the company from the entirety of their supply chain,” Turner explained. He noted contractors may struggle to verify their software contains no open-source elements from Anthropic.
This development follows an intense multi-week disagreement regarding technology safeguards for military use of Anthropic’s artificial intelligence systems. The conflict concluded with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designating the company as a supply chain threat and prohibiting Pentagon and contractor usage.
On Monday, Anthropic initiated legal action seeking to prevent implementation of the Pentagon’s restriction.
The internal guidance additionally instructs officials to focus on eliminating Anthropic products from systems handling sensitive operations, including nuclear weapons and missile defense programs.
The document reinforces that the prohibition applies to defense contractors as well. Pentagon procurement officials have 30 days to inform contractors, who must then verify complete adherence within the 180-day timeframe.
