The relationship between AI companies and the American defense establishment burst into the open earlier this year when Anthropic found itself in a nasty public fight with the Pentagon. After Anthropic demanded assurances its AI products wouldn’t power domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons, the Pentagon barred all federal agencies and contractors from doing business with Anthropic at all; the company sued to lift the ban, and the high-stakes battle is currently unfolding in court.
But behind the scenes, an equally important if less dramatic AI struggle is playing out—as U.S. defense and intelligence agencies try to leverage the technology without sacrificing their need for secrecy. A small handful of AI infrastructure companies have been quietly doing complex, rarely-seen work that makes it possible for the U.S. government to securely use AI in the first place.
