xAI Opens Grok to Pentagon's Classified Systems
xAI will let the military run Grok in classified environments, filling a gap Anthropic refuses to touch.
xAI just handed the Pentagon exactly what it wanted. The company has agreed to let the Department of Defense deploy Grok inside classified systems, accepting the military's "all lawful use" standard — no restrictions, no guardrails beyond the law itself.
That's a sharp contrast to Anthropic, which has refused the same terms. The AI safety-focused company appears unwilling to give the military blanket usage rights, citing its own safeguard policies.
The Pentagon isn't taking that refusal quietly. DOD officials are reportedly threatening Anthropic over the dispute and may soon start shopping for a replacement.
For xAI, this is a massive door opening. Military contracts mean serious money and long-term entrenchment in government infrastructure. For Anthropic, it's a high-stakes gamble — principles over Pentagon dollars.