Pentagon opens door to exempt Anthropic use beyond 6-month ramp-down, memo says

The Pentagon has told its senior leaders that use of Anthropic’s AI tools may continue beyond a previously announced six-month phase-out period if deemed critical to national security, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

The memo is dated March 6 and signed by Pentagon Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies. It says ‌the exemptions ⁠can be ⁠authorised “in rare and extraordinary circumstances” and “will only be considered for mission-critical activities directly supporting national security operations where no viable alternative exists.”