US Military Reportedly Uses AI Model Claude in Operation that Led to Capture of Former Venezuelan President

In a development highlighting the expanding role of advanced artificial intelligence in national security, the US military reportedly used Anthropic’s AI model Claude during the operation that led to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last month, Wall Street Journal reported. Claude is a large language model designed for tasks such as data analysis, intelligence summarisation and decision support. The model was reportedly accessed by the Pentagon through a partnership with Palantir Technologies, whose secure platforms are widely used by the US Defense Department and federal law enforcement agencies. Because of this arrangement, Claude, typically governed by strict usage policies, is available on classified government networks that are not accessible to ordinary commercial users, Fox News reported. Notably, the usage policies of Anthropic, which raised $30 billion ⁠in its latest funding round and is now valued at $380 billion, forbid using Claude to support violence, design weapons or carry out surveillance. The Pentagon is pushing ⁠top AI ‌companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to make their artificial-intelligence tools available on classified networks without many ⁠of the standard restrictions that the firms apply to users, Reuters has reported. Many AI companies are reportedly building custom tools for the US military, most of which are available only on unclassified networks typically used for military administration. Anthropic is the only one that is available in classified settings ‌through third parties, but the government is still bound by the company’s usage policies. In response to questions about the report, an Anthropic spokesperson declined to confirm whether Claude was used in the operation, saying only that any deployment of the AI model must comply with its usage policies and that the company collaborates with partners to ensure adherence. The Pentagon and other involved parties also declined to comment. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are currently lodged in a New York detention facility on narco terrorism charges and will next face the court on March 17. Both had pleaded not guilty during their first court hearing.