On Friday, the Department of Defense’s Chief Technology Officer, Emil Michael, stated that Anthropic remains classified as a supply chain threat, yet emphasized that Mythos, the firm’s AI model equipped with sophisticated cyber features, represents a distinct national security consideration. «The Mythos situation being addressed across the federal government, not solely within the Department of Defense, is a unique national security moment requiring us to fortify our networks, given the model’s specific ability to identify and address cyber vulnerabilities,» Michael explained during an appearance on CNBC’s «Squawk Box.»

These remarks follow a public dispute earlier this year between the DOD and Anthropic, where the Department labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk, implying its technology poses a threat to U.S. national security, after negotiations regarding the use of Anthropic’s models within the agency broke down.

Due to this supply chain risk designation, defense contractors must confirm they do not utilize Anthropic’s Claude models in their military-related projects. In March, Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to overturn the Pentagon’s blacklisting.

It remains unclear how the DOD could employ Anthropic’s Mythos model without breaching the supply chain risk designation.

Michael noted on Friday that the DOD still requires safeguards, which «are negotiable depending on the terms established with all companies, as they hold varying perspectives on this matter.»

On Friday, the DOD revealed it has secured agreements with seven AI firms to deploy their technology across the agency’s classified networks for «lawful operational use.» These companies include Google, OpenAI, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, SpaceX (which has merged with Elon Musk’s xAI), and Reflection, a startup focused on open-weight models.

OpenAI announced a deal with the Pentagon hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic a supply chain risk in late February. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman later acknowledged on X that the timing «looked opportunistic and sloppy.»

Michael’s Friday comments indicate that Mythos has complicated the DOD’s attempts to distance itself from Anthropic.

Earlier this month, Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei met with senior Trump administration officials at the White House to discuss the model, with both sides describing the conversation as «productive.»

After the meeting, President Donald Trump told CNBC that «it’s possible» a deal will be reached between Anthropic and the DOD. He stated the company is «very smart» and could «be of great use.»

Despite the supply chain risk designation, the DOD has reportedly used Anthropic’s models to support military operations in the war in Iran. According to Axios, the National Security Agency, which falls under the DOD, is utilizing Mythos.

«From a national security standpoint, you always have to evaluate these factors,» Michael said Friday. «NSA and Commerce assess all frontier models, including Chinese frontier models, to understand their capabilities at the edge.»

Anthropic’s lawsuits against the Trump administration in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., remain ongoing.