The Pentagon previously requested Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and xAI allow the use of their AI models for “all lawful purposes,” to which Anthropic put up the most resistance over fears its AI models could be used for autonomous weapons systems and mass domestic surveillance.

American AI company Anthropic has until 5:01 pm ET to give in to the Pentagon’s demands or face being labeled a “supply chain risk,” a type of designation usually reserved for companies thought to be extensions of foreign adversaries.

Explore the tension between national security demands and AI safety as the Pentagon influences Anthropic’s strict guardrails.

The Defense Department has been feuding with Anthropic over military uses of its artificial intelligence tools. At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts and access to some of the most advanced AI on the planet.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang weighed in on a conflict between the Defense Department and its strategic partner on Thursday, saying it's “not the end of the world.”

Anthropic, a company founded by OpenAI exiles worried about the dangers of AI, is loosening its core safety principle in response to competition.

Debates have long swirled around AI and its use in weapons targeting, the idea of no human involvement still an uncomfortable one.

Over the last week, tensions between the Pentagon and artificial intelligence giant Anthropic have reached a boiling point.