Pentagon-Anthropic AI deal collapses over bulk data analysis of Americans, autonomous weapons use; Hegseth terminates contract after company rejects loopholes in ethical restrictions, February 2026.

Inside Anthropic’s Killer-Robot Dispute With the Pentagon

New details on precisely where the lines were drawnIllustration by The Atlantic. Sources: Erin Schaff / The New York Times / Redux; Heather Diehl / Getty.March 1, 2026, 10:19 AM ET Right up until the moment that Pete Hegseth moved to terminate the government’s relationship with the AI company Anthropic, its leaders believed that they were still on track for a deal. The Pentagon had unilaterally insisted on renegotiating its contract with Anthropic, the company whose AI model is the only one curr...