The Pentagon revealed that it has finalized agreements on artificial intelligence (AI) with seven major technology companies on May 1, 2026.
The tech company has decided to deploy its AI tools on classified military networks, notably excluding Anthropic, which was blacklisted due to a dispute over AI security safeguards.
The seven AI partners are:
- Microsoft
- Amazon Web Services
- Nvidia
- OpenAI
- EspaceX
- Thinking AI
The involvement of seven technology companies instead of a single AI giant indicates that the Pentagon is avoiding too much reliance on a single AI vendor.
Anthropic’s Claude was the only AI model previously accessible to the department via the classified network.
However, relations further deteriorated when Anthropic demanded safeguards be put in place, preventing the military from weaponizing their technology to develop autonomous weapons or conduct mass surveillance.
In March, the Pentagon called Anthropic a “supply chain risk,” citing that it is typically reserved for foreign adversaries, prohibiting its use within the Department of Defense and its contractors.
President Trump also announced that the administration would sever all ties with the company.
As a result, Anthropic filed a lawsuit, and a federal judge recently stopped the government’s attempt.
Despite being blacklisted, Pentagon personnel are unwilling to move away from Anthropic’s programs because they perceive them to be superior. The authorities have six months to get rid of it.
