Google has expressed its intent to maintain access to Anthropic’s artificial intelligence technologies for its clientele, with the sole exception of defense-related endeavors, as reported by CNBC. This announcement mirrors a similar declaration made by Microsoft the preceding day, coming in the wake of the U.S. Department of Defense officially designating the startup as a supply chain risk**.
A Google spokesperson clarified, “We recognize that this decision does not inhibit our ongoing, non-defense collaborations with Anthropic, and their offerings remain accessible across our platforms, including Google Cloud.” The search behemoth serves as a major financial backer for the AI developer; in January 2025, the company finalized an additional $1 billion in funding, building upon its prior $2 billion stake.
The U.S. Department of Defense previously added Anthropic to its list of supply chain risks subsequent to the company declining to adhere to mandated terms of use. President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to cease employing the firm’s technologies, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegset indicated that cooperation would be wound down within a six-month timeframe. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated that the company felt it “had no alternative” but to challenge this ruling legally.
*Anthropic is an American firm specializing in AI system development, established by former OpenAI personnel. It is recognized for developing the Claude chatbot and aims to create “safe and understandable” AI, positioning itself as a primary rival to the creators of ChatGPT.
**Supply Chain—In the context of IT and national security, this refers to the complete array of software elements, services, and contractors involved in developing and operating a system. Being labeled a supply chain threat implies that relying on the company’s products is considered insecure due to potential data breaches, sabotage, or the presence of latent vulnerabilities.
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