Pentagon has reportedly told senior officials that Anthropic’s AI tools may still be used beyond the planned six-month phase-out period in certain cases. According to an internal memo seen by news agency Reuters, the US Department of Defense may allow continued use of the company’s AI products if they are considered essential for national security work. The memo, dated March 6 has been signed by Pentagon Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies. The development comes weeks after the Pentagon decided to stop using Anthropic’s technology and labelled the company a supply-chain risk following disagreements over rules governing military use of AI.

Pentagon allows rare exemptions to use Anthropic AI tools for national security work

As per the news agency, the memo outlines conditions under which exemptions may be granted. It states that exemptions may be approved “in rare and extraordinary circumstances” if Anthropic’s tools are required for “mission-critical activities directly supporting national security operations where no viable alternative exists.”Any Pentagon office requesting such an exemption must submit a detailed risk-mitigation plan for approval, the document says. The memo was first reported by CBS News. Experts say the exception shows how difficult it may be for the Pentagon to fully remove Anthropic’s technology from its systems. The Reuters report quotes Franklin Turner, a government contracts lawyer at McCarter & English, who said the memo reflects the practical challenges involved in enforcing the ban. He noted that many contractors may struggle to confirm that their software does not include any open-source code connected to Anthropic.“I do expect to see a flurry of waiver requests,” Turner said.The memo follows a dispute between Anthropic and the US government over how the military could use the company’s AI tools. The disagreement led Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to label Anthropic a supply-chain risk and ban its technology from Pentagon systems and contractor networks. Anthropic has since filed a lawsuit seeking to block the ban.