- US military reportedly used Anthropic's AI tool Claude in Maduro raid in Caracas
- Maduro and wife were captured and are facing trial in US for drug trafficking conspiracies
- Anthropic denied confirming Claude's use in raid, cited strict usage policies
The US military used Anthropic's artificial-intelligence tool Claude in its raid on former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, officials familiar with the matter told Wall Street Journal.
Maduro and his wife were captured in Caracas in January and brought to the US, where they face a trial on “drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies”.
Anthropic has denied the use of its technology in the raid last month. “We cannot comment on whether Claude, or any other AI model, was used for any specific operation, classified or otherwise,” a spokesman told WSJ. “Any use of Claude—whether in the private sector or across government—is required to comply with our Usage Policies, which govern how Claude can be deployed. We work closely with our partners to ensure compliance,” they added.
Also Read: 'Jeffrey Epstein Likely Died Due To Strangulation, Not By Hanging', Says Doctor Who Observed Autopsy
Claude Used In Venezuela Raid?
Several sites in the Venezuelan capital Caracas were bombed during the mission to capture Maduro and his wife. Anthropic's usage guidelines prohibit Claude from being utilised to develop weapons, facilitate violence or conduct surveillance.
The move occurred via Anthropic's partnership with Palantir Technologies, a data company whose tools are often used by federal law enforcement and the Defense Department, as per reports.
Axios reported that the US military used Claude earlier to analyse satellite imagery or intelligence. Sources revealed the AI tool was used during active operations, and not just in preparations, it said.
Anthropic was the first AI model developer used by the Department of Defense in classified operations. It is possible that other AI tools were used in the Venezuelan strikes for unclassified tasks, it stated.
Pentagon To Reconsider Partnership With Anthropic?
The news may force a relook at the partnership between Anthropic and the Defense Department. "Anthropic asked whether their software was used for the raid to capture Maduro, which caused real concerns across the Department of War indicating that they might not approve if it was," an official told Axios.
Anthropic has marketed itself as a safety-first AI leader. The firm is negotiating with the Pentagon about the terms of use of its tools and wants to ensure that its technology is not used to operate fully autonomous weapons or conduct mass surveillance of Americans. A source told Axios that the company is confident that the military has complied with its existing usage policy in all cases.
Apart from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and xAI have reached deals with the US military, but concerns remain about the usage of AI tools in classified systems.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
