Why AI Companies Are Now Racing to Build Weapons (After Swearing They Never Would)

The $23 Billion Question That’s Reshaping AI The standoff between Anthropic and the Pentagon isn’t just another tech news story. It’s a seismic shift that reveals how quickly principles can crumble when national security—and massive profits—are at stake. Here’s what’s happening: Anthropic, the AI safety company that built Claude (ChatGPT’s main rival), is now in heated negotiations with the Department of Defense. The same company that positioned itself as the “ethical AI” alternative is being pulled into the military-industrial complex.