Despite the Pentagon slapping Anthropic with a 'supply-chain risk' designation - a label usually reserved for foreign adversaries - the AI company is still having cozy chats with high-level members of the Trump administration. This suggests that not everyone in the government is on the same page about whether to give Anthropic the cold shoulder, or perhaps they just really want to test the new model.
Earlier signs of this thaw included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reportedly encouraging major bank heads to try out Anthropic's new Mythos model. Co-founder Jack Clark tried to downplay the drama, calling the Pentagon dispute a 'narrow contracting dispute' that wouldn't stop the company from briefing the government on its latest creations. It seems the fight is over principles, not a complete communication breakdown.
The relationship apparently warmed further on Friday, when Axios reported that Bessent and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. The White House described this as a 'productive and constructive' introductory meeting where they 'discussed opportunities for collaboration, as well as shared approaches and protocols to address the challenges associated with scaling this technology.' In other words, they had a nice chat about how to work together.
Anthropic confirmed the meeting, stating Amodei discussed with 'senior administration officials' how they could collaborate on 'key shared priorities such as cybersecurity, America’s lead in the AI race, and AI safety.' The company added it's 'looking forward to continuing these discussions,' which sounds a lot more pleasant than their current relationship with the Department of Defense.
The whole Pentagon dispute reportedly started after failed negotiations over the military's use of Anthropic's models. The AI company wanted to maintain safeguards against using its tech for fully autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance. Notably, OpenAI quickly announced its own military deal, which caused some consumer backlash. In response, the Pentagon declared Anthropic a supply-chain risk, a move the company is now challenging in court.
However, an administration source told Axios that 'every agency' except the Department of Defense wants to use Anthropic's technology. So, while one part of the government is suing Anthropic, the rest seem to be lining up for a demo. It's a classic tale of bureaucratic disagreement, with high-stakes AI as the prize.