According to TechCrunch, Anthropic has announced a collaboration with data analytics firm Palantir and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide U.S. intelligence and defense agencies access to its Claude family of AI models. This partnership is part of a broader trend where AI vendors are increasingly seeking to establish relationships with U.S. defense customers for strategic and financial benefits. Recently, Meta made its Llama models available to defense partners, and OpenAI is working to strengthen its ties with the U.S. Defense Department.
Anthropic's head of sales, Kate Earle Jensen, highlighted that the collaboration with Palantir and AWS will enable the operational use of Claude within Palantir’s platform, utilizing AWS hosting. Claude became accessible on Palantir’s platform earlier this month and can now be used in Palantir’s defense-accredited environment, Palantir Impact Level 6 (IL6). The Defense Department’s IL6 is designated for systems containing data critical to national security, requiring maximum protection against unauthorized access and tampering. Information in IL6 systems can be classified up to the “secret” level, just below top secret.
Jensen expressed pride in leading the effort to bring responsible AI solutions to U.S. classified environments, enhancing analytical capabilities and operational efficiencies in crucial government operations. Access to Claude within Palantir on AWS will provide U.S. defense and intelligence organizations with powerful AI tools capable of rapidly processing and analyzing vast amounts of complex data. This advancement is expected to significantly improve intelligence analysis, aid decision-making processes, streamline resource-intensive tasks, and boost operational efficiency across departments.
Earlier this year, Anthropic introduced select Claude models to AWS’ GovCloud, indicating its ambition to expand its public-sector client base. GovCloud is AWS’ service designed for U.S. government cloud workloads. Anthropic positions itself as a safety-conscious vendor compared to OpenAI. However, its terms of service allow its products to be used for tasks such as legally authorized foreign intelligence analysis, identifying covert influence or sabotage campaigns, and providing warnings of potential military activities. The company tailors use restrictions based on the mission and legal authorities of a government entity, considering factors like the agency’s willingness to engage in ongoing dialogue.
Despite the growing interest in AI from government agencies, as evidenced by a Brookings Institute analysis showing a 1,200% increase in AI-related government contracts, some branches like the U.S. military remain cautious about adopting the technology due to skepticism about its return on investment. Anthropic, which recently expanded to Europe, is reportedly in discussions to raise a new round of funding at a valuation of up to $40 billion, having raised approximately $7.6 billion to date, with Amazon as its largest investor.
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