Pentagon Expands Use of Google's Gemini Amid Anthropic Dispute
Pentagon confirms expanded classified use of Google's Gemini model as employee protests and Anthropic lawsuits continue, with prior 2025 contracts worth up to $200 million each cited.
CNBCPentagon AI chief confirms DOD's expanded use of Google, says reliance on one model 'never a good thing'
TechCrunchGoogle expands Pentagon's access to its AI after Anthropic's refusal | TechCrunch
New York PostGoogle inks Pentagon deal for classified AI work despite uproar from employees warning of ‘irreparable damage’
The GuardianGoogle reportedly signs classified AI deal with US Pentagon
Overview
Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley confirmed to CNBC that the Department of Defense is expanding its use of Google's Gemini model for classified projects.
The move follows the DOD's designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk and comes as Anthropic pursues lawsuits after a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., denied its request to temporarily block the blacklisting.
Roughly 600 to 950 Google employees signed letters urging CEO Sundar Pichai to refuse classified workloads, and Google DeepMind researcher Andreas Kirsch said he felt "ashamed" after the deal.
The Pentagon has signed agreements worth up to $200 million each in 2025 with major AI labs including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google, and Stanley said the DOD is also working with OpenAI and other vendors.
The agreement reportedly allows "any lawful government purpose" while including language against domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons without human oversight, and the DOD confirmed it is not working with Anthropic at this time.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a debate over corporate responsibility versus national security, emphasizing Anthropic’s principled refusal and employee dissent while casting Google’s deal as opportunistic. Editorial choices—loaded phrasing (e.g., 'turn Anthropic’s loss into its own gain'), highlighting the 'supply-chain risk' label, and noting Google’s nonresponse—create skepticism.