White House drafts guidance to restore Anthropic access as Pentagon legal fight continues

White House drafts guidance to bypass Anthropic's risk flag for new AI models, Axios reports

April 28 (Reuters) - The White House is developing guidance that could allow federal agencies to sidestep Anthropic's supply-chain risk designation and onboard new artificial intelligence models, including Mythos, Axios reported on Tuesday. A draft executive action under consideration could provide the Trump administration with a pathway to de‑escalate its dispute with Anthropic, Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Anthropic declined to ⁠comment, while the White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. This development comes as Anthropic faced a fallout with the Pentagon in the year after the startup refused to remove guardrails against using its AI for autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance, and the department designated the Claude-maker as a . U.S. President Donald Trump last week said Anthropic was "shaping up" in the eyes of his administration, after CEO Dario Amodei met White House ⁠officials in an attempt to repair the strained relationship. When asked if a deal was on the horizon with the Pentagon, Trump told on CNBC's "Squawk Box", "It's possible. We want the smartest people." Trump's comments and the draft guidance come just weeks after Anthropic unveiled ⁠Mythos, its most advanced AI system to date. Experts have said the tool holds a potentially unprecedented ability to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities and devise ways to exploit them. While ⁠key players in the Pentagon are dug in on the issue with Anthropic, other stakeholders believe the fight has been counterproductive and are ready ⁠to find an offramp, Axios said, citing multiple sources. It is possible that both sides could end up right back in contentious negotiations, according to the report. Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Anthropic seeks to debunk Pentagon's claims about its control over AI technology in military systems

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Anthropic on Wednesday told an appeals court that it can't manipulate its artificial intelligence tool Claude once it is deployed in classified Pentagon military networks -- an assertion aimed at debunking the Trump administration's attempt to brand the rapidly growing technology company as a supply chain risk. The statement made as part of 96-page filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. provided a glimpse at the arguments that Anthropic's lawyers intend to make as part of a lawsuit filed last month in the fallout of a contract dispute over how AI technology can be used in fully autonomous weapons and potential surveillance of Americans. San Francisco-based Anthropic contends the Pentagon is illegally retaliating against it by stigmatizing it with a designation meant to protect against sabotage of national security systems by foreign adversaries. Earlier this month, the appeals court rejected Anthropic's request for an order that would have blocked the Pentagon's actions while the panel is still collecting evidence about the case. Anthropic's new filing is meant to directly address some of the court's questions ahead of oral arguments scheduled for May 19. The Trump administration will have an opportunity to file its response before that hearing. Anthropic's temporary setback in the Washington case came after it already had prevailed in a separate case focused on the same issues in San Francisco federal court. That decision prompted the Trump administration to remove the stigmatizing labels from Anthropic, according court filings. But the lack of a similar order in the parallel case in Washington continues to cast a cloud over Anthropic, whose AI tools have turned it into a rising tech star along with rival OpenAI. After the Pentagon canceled a $200 million contract with Anthropic in the wake of their disagreement, OpenAI struck a deal to provide its technology to the U.S. military.

Scoop: White House workshops plan to bring back Anthropic

Why it matters: The Trump administration appears to be performing a 180 on a company it previously claimed was such a grave security risk that it had to be ripped out of the federal government. Behind the scenes: A draft executive action that is currently in the works could, among other steps related to the government's use of AI, give the administration a way to dial down the Anthropic fight, two sources said. * One source described the White House efforts as a way to "save face and bring em back in." * Earlier this month, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for what both sides called a productive introductory meeting on how the company and government can work together. * The White House is convening companies across various sectors this week to inform the potential executive action and best practices for deploying Mythos. Those meetings include "table reads" of possible guidance that could walk back the Office of Management and Budget's directive on not using Anthropic in the government. What they're saying: "The White House continues to proactively engage across government and industry to protect our country and the American people, including by working with frontier AI labs," the White House said. * "The collective effort of all involved will ultimately benefit our economy and country. However, any policy announcement will come directly from the President and anything else is pure speculation." * Anthropic declined to comment. Catch up quick: The Pentagon and White House were once aligned on blacklisting a company both denounced as "woke." Then along came Mythos, which has demonstrated a frightening ability to automate cyberattacks, but could also be a powerful tool for defenders. * Agencies across the federal government are clamoring for access to Mythos at the same time the Pentagon is battling Anthropic in court. * Government agencies including the Pentagon are still able to use Anthropic's models while the legal fight plays out, and the National Security Agency is even using Mythos. * But the feud has made cooperation between Anthropic and the government much more complicated. Between the lines: Multiple sources have told Axios that while key players at the Pentagon are dug in on this issue, other stakeholders believe the fight has been counterproductive and are ready to find an offramp. * It's unclear if the steps under consideration would resolve the Pentagon fight, or simply make it easier for other government agencies to work with Anthropic. Yes, but: Even if the Pentagon lifts the supply chain risk designation, which some at the Pentagon and within Anthropic believe will happen at some point, the core dispute remains. * Anthropic refused to sign an agreement allowing the Pentagon to use its model Claude for "all lawful purposes," insisting on banning its use for mass domestic surveillance or to develop fully autonomous weapons. * The Pentagon said the dispute demonstrated Anthropic was not a reliable partner, and issued the unprecedented supply chain risk designation. * The Pentagon is currently still able to use Claude, which is integrated into highly sensitive systems, but it is operating on older terms of service that both sides view as overly restrictive, a source familiar said. The Pentagon is also not receiving the latest updates of the model. What to watch: The source said it's possible the sides could end up right back in contentious negotiations. * OpenAI and Google have both signed agreements to let the Pentagon use their models under the "all lawful purposes" standard in classified settings, though both claim those deals respect the same two red lines Anthropic drew. Dave Lawler and Sam Sabin contributed reporting.

White House Weighs Reinstating Anthropic for Federal Use Amid Pentagon Fight: Report - Decrypt

The dispute centers on Anthropic's limits on surveillance and autonomous weapons use. The White House is reportedly moving to restore Anthropic's standing across the federal government as the AI company remains in a dispute with the Pentagon over how its models can be used. According to a report by Axios citing multiple sources, officials in President Donald Trump's administration are drafting guidance that could let federal agencies work around Anthropic's "supply chain risk" designation and gain access to its newest AI models, including Mythos. The move would mark a reversal for an administration that previously treated Anthropic as a security risk and sought to remove its technology from government systems, after CEO Dario Amodei refused unrestricted access to the Pentagon earlier this year. Axios reported that a draft executive action under discussion could ease the administration's stance and allow agencies to use Anthropic's technology while allowing the administration to "save face and bring them back in." In February, the Pentagon designated Anthropic a "supply chain risk." After Trump ordered agencies to "immediately cease" using its products, federal departments were given six months to phase out the company's technology. "The United States of America will never allow a radical left, woke company to dictate how our great military fights and wins wars!" Trump wrote on Truth Social in February. "That decision belongs to your commander-in-chief and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our military." Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei reportedly met earlier this month with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as administration officials convened meetings with major banks, including Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, to discuss the cybersecurity risks tied to Mythos. The news comes as demand for Mythos grows across the federal government and corporations. Revealed in March, Mythos is Anthropic's most advanced AI model, which the company says can identify and exploit software vulnerabilities across major operating systems. Anthropic said that it would not yet release the model publicly, instead offering access to tech giants and governments to help secure their software and understand its capabilities. According to the AI Security Institute, Mythos Preview became the first AI model to complete "The Last Ones" (TLO), a 32-step corporate network attack simulation that typically requires humans 20 hours to finish. The National Security Agency is reportedly already running Claude Mythos Preview on classified networks. At the same time, Firefox developer Mozilla said that using Mythos, the company was able to identify and patch 271 vulnerabilities in the browser during testing. It shows the serious potential for the AI to both exploit current software and attempt to safeguard it from attackers. "As these capabilities reach the hands of more defenders, many other teams are now experiencing the same vertigo we did when the findings first came into focus," Mozilla wrote in a post. "For a hardened target, just one such bug would have been red-alert in 2025, and so many at once makes you stop to wonder whether it's even possible to keep up." Anthropic did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Decrypt.

Anthropic: No "kill switch" for AI in classified settings

Why it matters: The Pentagon designated Anthropic a supply chain risk, contending the AI firm is inappropriately getting involved in how its technology can be used in sensitive military operations. What's inside: Anthropic argues in the filing to a federal appeals court in D.C. that it has no visibility, technical ability or any kind of "kill switch" for its technology once it's deployed. * The company also says the Pentagon has the opportunity to test models before deployment. Catch up quick: The company's usage policies include no Claude for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance, red lines that the Pentagon dismissed as red herrings and led to the dispute. * The D.C. court previously rejected Anthropic's request for a pause on the supply chain risk designation. A judge in California for an ongoing parallel case granted Anthropic's request. * The split decision means Anthropic can't participate in new Pentagon contracts, but can continue working with other government agencies while the litigation plays out. Friction point: The Pentagon is arguing in court that Anthropic is a supply chain risk as the Trump administration moves to deploy its new Mythos model across the federal government. * Now, agency heads are scrambling to figure out how they can protect their systems from cyber attacks using Mythos, potentially complicating the administration's argument that the company poses a national security risk. What's next: A hearing is scheduled for May 19.

Trump Administration Eyes Workaround To Bypass Anthropic Ban, Deploy Mythos For Government Use: Report -

The Trump administration is reportedly developing a strategy to bypass Anthropic's supply chain risk designation, potentially allowing the onboarding of its powerful AI model, Mythos. The White House is working on a draft executive action that could provide a way to mitigate the ongoing dispute with Anthropic, Axios reported on Tuesday. Earlier this month, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. The meeting was described as a "productive introductory meeting" on potential collaborations between the government and the company, as per the publication. This week, the White House is meeting companies across sectors to discuss possible executive action and best practices for deploying Mythos. The talks also include potential guidance that could overturn the Office of Management and Budget's directive against using Anthropic in government operations. Mythos is a restricted AI model developed by Anthropic for sensitive government and defense use, introduced earlier this month. White House and Anthropic did not immediately respond to Benzinga's requests for comment. Pentagon AI Stance Shows Signs Of Shift While some key Pentagon officials remain firm on their stance, others believe the dispute has been unproductive and are looking for a resolution, as per Axios. The situation could potentially lead to renewed contentious negotiations. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Image via Shutterstock Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.

White House Drafts Path Around Anthropic AI Risk Flag for Agencies

is developing guidance that could let federal agencies sidestep Anthropic's supply-chain risk designation and adopt new AI models, including Mythos, Axios reported. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report. Axios reported that officials are considering a draft executive action. The measure could give the Trump administration a way to resolve its dispute with Anthropic, according to two sources cited by Axios. Anthropic declined to comment on the report. The White House also did not immediately respond. The development follows a dispute between Anthropic and the Pentagon earlier this year. The department labeled the Claude-maker a supply-chain risk after the company declined to remove guardrails on its AI systems. Those guardrails restrict the use of Anthropic's AI for autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance. The dispute limited the company's standing with parts of the.

White House drafts guidance to bypass Anthropic's risk flag for new AI models, Axios reports

April 28 (Reuters) - The White House is developing guidance that could allow federal agencies to sidestep Anthropic's supply-chain risk designation and onboard new artificial intelligence models, including Mythos, Axios reported on Tuesday. A draft executive action, which is currently in the works, could give the Trump administration a way to dial down the fight with Anthropic, the Axios report said, citing two sources. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. This development comes as Anthropic faced a fallout with the Pentagon earlier in the year after the startup refused to remove guardrails against using its AI for autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance, and the department designated the Claude-maker as a supply-chain risk. The White House and Anthropic did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. (Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)