tech
February 17, 2026
Pentagon used Claude AI to kidnap Maduro
The US military used Anthropic’s Claude AI model during the raid in Venezuela last month, according the WSJ and Axios
TL;DR
- The US military reportedly used Anthropic's Claude AI model during an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
- Anthropic's usage policies explicitly prohibit its technology from being used to facilitate violence, develop weapons, or conduct surveillance.
- The military has previously used AI models for analyzing satellite imagery and intelligence in real-time.
- Rival AI companies like OpenAI, Google, and xAI have agreements with the Pentagon, but only Claude is deployed on classified platforms via Palantir Technologies.
- The report surfaces as Anthropic has been stressing its commitment to AI safeguards and positioning itself as a safety-conscious alternative.
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned of the dangers of unconstrained AI use, and a head of safeguards research recently resigned with a cryptic warning.
- Anthropic is reportedly negotiating with the Pentagon over potentially loosening restrictions on AI deployment for autonomous weapons targeting and domestic surveillance, which has stalled a significant contract.
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