Pentagon Maintains Anthropic Blacklist Despite Strategic Interest in Mythos AI

Defense Department CTO Emil Michael confirmed that Anthropic remains classified as a supply chain risk, meaning its technology is viewed as a potential threat to U.S. national security. However, Michael distinguished the company's general status from its Mythos AI model, which he described as a 'separate national security moment' due to its specialized capabilities in identifying and patching cyber vulnerabilities. The tension escalated in February after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared the company a supply chain risk, a move that requires defense contractors to certify they are not using Anthropic's Claude models in military work. In response, Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the administration in March to overturn the blacklisting. To fill the gap, the DOD has entered into agreements with seven other AI companies to deploy technology across classified networks. This group includes Google, OpenAI, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, SpaceX (which merged with xAI), and the startup Reflection. OpenAI's deal was struck shortly after Anthropic's designation, a timeline CEO Sam Altman later characterized as 'opportunistic and sloppy.' Despite the official blacklist, the National Security Agency is reportedly utilizing Mythos to support military operations in Iran. Recent discussions between Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and the White House were described as productive, with President Donald Trump stating that a deal is possible because the company is 'very smart' and could be of 'great use' to the government.