US Army Allegedly Used Claude AI to Capture Maduro

(MENAFN) The U.S. military reportedly employed Anthropic’s AI model, Claude, during the mission to detain Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as stated by reports citing anonymous sources. The deployment occurred through Anthropic’s collaboration with Palantir Technologies, a company that provides services to U.S. defense and federal law enforcement agencies.

Following the operation, an Anthropic employee reportedly asked a colleague at Palantir how Claude had been utilized in the mission, highlighting the curiosity within the companies involved.

This incident marks the first publicly known instance of a private AI developer’s technology being applied in a classified U.S. Department of Defense operation, although the exact nature of Claude’s involvement—ranging from analyzing documents to potentially guiding autonomous systems—remains unclear.

A spokesperson for Anthropic declined to confirm the AI’s use in the operation, emphasizing the company’s established guidelines: “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.”

The policies explicitly restrict the AI from being employed in contexts involving violence, weapons, or surveillance, underscoring the company’s approach to responsible usage. Reports note that neither the Pentagon, the White House, Anthropic, nor Palantir have provided formal confirmation regarding the AI’s role in the operation.

The mission, which drew international attention, successfully resulted in Maduro’s detention, raising questions about how AI is increasingly integrated into national security activities while ethical and operational guidelines continue to be debated.

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