Free NewsletterPro Login

The Pentagon Is Going Bigger On Google's AI After Cutting Anthropic

Published Apr 29, 2026
Share:
Summary:
  • Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley confirmed the Defense Department is using Google's Gemini for classified work.
  • The DOD blacklisted Anthropic about two months ago over supply chain risk.
  • More than 700 Google employees signed a letter this week asking CEO Sundar Pichai to reject the classified contracts.

The Pentagon picked sides in the AI race this week, and the big winner is Google. The big loser is Anthropic.

The Defense Department's AI chief told CNBC that Google's Gemini model is now running on classified projects, while Anthropic is locked out of Pentagon contracts during a court fight.

What Stanley Said

Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley confirmed the DOD is expanding its use of Gemini, while also working with OpenAI and other vendors.

"Overreliance on one vendor is never a good thing," Stanley said. "We're seeing that, especially in software."

A person familiar with the deal told CNBC that Google (GOOGL +0.11%) is using its latest model on classified work, with The Information first reporting the deal.

Stanley said Gemini is "saving thousands of man hours, literally thousands of man hours on a weekly basis" for U.S. warfighters.

The Anthropic Backstory

The Pentagon dropped Anthropic about two months ago, calling the company a supply chain risk, and Anthropic sued.

The legal fight has split decisions. A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. earlier this month denied Anthropic's request to block the blacklist while the lawsuit plays out, while a judge in San Francisco granted Anthropic an injunction in a separate case that bars the Trump administration from banning Claude across government.

The result: Anthropic is out at the DOD but can still work with other federal agencies during the fight.

A DOD spokesperson confirmed the Pentagon is not currently working with Anthropic. President Trump told CNBC last week it's "possible" a deal gets done that lets Anthropic models back in.

Stanley's Wakeup Call

Stanley said Anthropic's Mythos rollout earlier this month was a wakeup call, since the company released the powerful model to a limited number of companies, citing advanced cyber capabilities and the risks they posed.

The DOD is "taking this very seriously," Stanley said, so it can prepare for "a whole raft of AI-enabled capabilities."

He used a Thanksgiving analogy to describe how the Pentagon picks tools: "You don't cook a Thanksgiving turkey in the microwave."

Trouble At Google

The deal isn't sitting well inside Google, where more than 700 employees signed a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai this week asking the company to reject classified workloads.

The letter said staff don't want the technology used in "inhumane or extremely harmful ways."

What To Watch

The next signal is whether Trump opens the door back up for Anthropic at the Pentagon, and whether Google's internal pushback grows. Both shape who gets the long-term defense AI dollars.

Disclosure

Get Market Briefs delivered to your inbox every morning for free!

No fluff. No noise. No politics. Just finance news you can read in 5 minutes.

Blogs

April 28, 2026
Core-Satellite Portfolio: The Best of Both Worlds
  • A core-satellite portfolio splits investments into stable core holdings and higher-risk satellite picks.
  • The core is usually 60% of the portfolio, with satellites at 40%.
  • It blends passive index investing with active opportunity bets.
Read More
April 28, 2026
Bond Ladder Strategy: The Income Plan With Built-In Flexibility
  • A bond ladder is a series of bonds with staggered maturity dates, often one to five years apart.
  • It gives you regular access to cash, predictable income, and protection from rate changes.
  • It works for Treasuries, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, and CDs.
Read More
April 28, 2026
Silver vs Gold Investing: Which One Belongs in Your Portfolio?
  • Gold is the stable store of value, used as crisis insurance during recessions and conflict.
  • Silver is both a precious metal and an industrial metal, with more volatile pricing.
  • Most investors hold a mix in their alternative investment allocation, often 5% to 12% of portfolio.
Read More
April 28, 2026
What Is a Dividend Reinvestment Plan? The Wealth Snowball Explained
  • A dividend reinvestment plan, or DRIP, automatically uses dividend payments to buy more shares.
  • DRIPs power compound growth - dividends buy shares that pay dividends that buy more shares.
  • Most brokerages offer DRIPs free, and many include fractional shares so every penny goes back in.
Read More
April 28, 2026
How Tariffs Affect the Stock Market
  • Tariffs are extra fees on goods imported into a country, and they hit company profit margins.
  • The S&P 500 dropped over 3% in one day after the 2025 tariff announcement.
  • Tariffs reshape trade flows, creating both losers and unexpected winners.
Read More
April 28, 2026
What Is a 13F Filing? The Smart Money Tracker
  • A 13F filing is a quarterly disclosure of stock holdings from large institutional investors.
  • It shows what hedge funds and asset managers bought, sold, and held last quarter.
  • You can find any 13F free on SEC EDGAR.
Read More
April 28, 2026
Debt-to-Equity Ratio: The Number That Tells You If a Company Is Drowning
  • The debt-to-equity ratio compares what a company owes to what shareholders own.
  • The formula is total liabilities divided by total shareholder equity.
  • Lower ratios mean less risk - one of the value markers Warren Buffett looks for.
Read More
April 28, 2026
Non-Financial Analysis of Stocks: The 4-Step Method
  • Non-financial analysis evaluates a company's business, not its financial ratios.
  • It covers four things: business model, CEO, innovation, and moat.
  • It's how investors find companies with long-term staying power.
Read More
April 28, 2026
SEC EDGAR Tutorial: The Free Tool the Pros Use
  • SEC EDGAR is the official free database of public company filings.
  • You can pull 10-Ks, 10-Qs, 8-Ks, and insider trades by ticker or company name.
  • It's the source journalists and analysts use to write their stock stories.
Read More
April 28, 2026
How to Read a 10-Q (Without Losing Your Mind)
  • A 10-Q is a public company's three-month financial update, filed with the SEC.
  • It shows revenue, profits, debt, and cash flow between yearly reports.
  • You can find any company's 10-Q for free on the SEC's EDGAR site.
Read More
1 2 3 18
Share via
Copy link