Tensions ramped up following reports that Anthropic technology had been used in the violent abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.

Debates have long swirled around AI and its use in weapons targeting, the idea of no human involvement still an uncomfortable one.

Anthropic announced its acquisition of Vercept this week, in a move that signals the company’s intent to move further into full computer interaction.

The company's Claude chatbot is one of the few AI systems cleared for use in classified settings. But a standoff between Anthropic and the Trump administration is putting its government work at risk.

Anthropic fears the unrestricted military use of its AI systems by the US government may harm democracy. Military officials have threatened to invoke Cold War-era legislation to force Anthropic to comply.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said on Thursday the company "cannot in good conscience accede" to the military's terms over the use of Claude.