March 28, 2026
Anthropic, the Pentagon, and the Future of Autonomous Weapons
The last big story right before the war in Iran started was the collapse in the relationship between the Pentagon and Anthropic, with the latter objecting to any potential use of its models in either fully autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance. Of course, this story immediately become more relevant with the start of the war, and the reporting that Anthropic's technology was in fact utilized at the start of hostilities. But what does that mean? How are these models used? And what would a fully autonomous weapons system actually entail? On this episode, we speak with Paul Scharre, the executive vice president and director of studies at the Center for a New American Security.
Listen to the full interview on Odd Lots | Bloomberg.
More from CNAS
-
Reports
Technology & National Security
American AI Companies Can’t Get Enough ChipsExecutive Summary In 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) chip production has become a binding constraint on the pace of the AI compute buildout. Demand for computing power to t...
By James Sanders, Janet Egan & Rory Madigan
-
Podcast
Technology & National Security
Anthony Vinci on Turning Uncertainty Into Decisions With AI ForecastingAnthony Vinci, CEO of Vico, joins the podcast to explain how AI-powered forecasting can quantify uncertainty and help people make better decisions. Drawing from his background...
By Anthony Vinci
-
Commentary
Indo-Pacific Security / Technology & National Security
CNAS Insights | Trump Should Talk to Xi About Military AIWhen President Donald Trump goes to China to meet with General Secretary Xi Jinping next month, the leaders of the world’s two superpowers will have much to discuss, with trad...
By Jacob Stokes & Daniel Remler
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
The Political Limits of China’s AI Diffusion AmbitionsBeijing’s drive to diffuse AI will increasingly run up against its commitment to employment stability and fear of collective action....
By Ruby Scanlon
