The Pentagon has added OpenAI’s ChatGPT and xAI’s Grok to its main artificial intelligence (AI) platform, giving millions of U.S. military and civilian personnel access to more commercial AI models.
The move expands the Department of Defense’s GenAI.mil platform, which already offered Google’s Gemini, while Anthropic’s Claude remains absent following a dispute over how the military can use its technology.
ChatGPT and Grok join GenAI.mil
The Pentagon announced the additions in late August, introducing ChatGPT Mil and Grok for Government through GenAI.mil. The platform is designed to give Defense Department personnel access to commercial AI systems in a secure environment rather than requiring them to use consumer versions of the services.
More than 1.7 million people across the department have already used GenAI.mil, out of roughly 3 million military and civilian personnel. The Pentagon says the platform allows workers to choose different AI models based on the task they need to complete.
ChatGPT Mil was developed through OpenAI’s government program and is intended for work involving controlled unclassified information. Grok for Government is also available through the platform, expanding the number of commercial models that Defense Department personnel can use.
The Pentagon has been increasing its use of AI as it looks for ways to support military operations and administrative work, and especially as its AI leadership has also said the department wants access to several models rather than depending on a single provider.
Why Claude is Missing
Anthropic’s Claude was previously used by the U.S. military, including for sensitive work. However, its position changed after the AI safety company rejected Pentagon demands for unrestricted military use of its AI systems.
Anthropic said it could not allow Claude to be used for fully autonomous weapons or mass domestic surveillance, but the Pentagon wanted access for all lawful purposes and was unwilling to include those restrictions in its agreement with Anthropic.
The dispute escalated in February when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to cut ties with Anthropic and potentially classify the company as a supply chain risk.
The Trump administration has since later designated Anthropic a supply chain risk and ordered federal agencies to stop using the company’s technology. But Anthropic challenged the decision in court.
Court Ruling Has Not Restored Claude to GenAI.mil
A federal judge overturned the Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic in late August, ruling that the government’s action was illegal and baseless. The ruling removed a major barrier facing Anthropic, but Claude was still not included when ChatGPT and Grok were added to GenAI.mil four days later.
The Pentagon’s latest rollout therefore leaves Claude outside its current lineup of commercial AI models, despite the court ruling.
The development also highlights how quickly the Defense Department is expanding its access to competing AI systems. With Gemini, ChatGPT and Grok now available through GenAI.mil, personnel have more options for using commercial AI while the Pentagon and Anthropic remain separated by an unresolved dispute over military use.
