Anthropic's Claude Was Used in a US Military Raid That Killed 83 People

Anthropic built its reputation on being the cautious alternative in the AI race. While OpenAI raced ahead with ChatGPT and Microsoft chased enterprise dominance, Anthropic preached restraint. Its CEO, Dario Amodei, warned about AI risks, called for regulation, and steered the company toward beneficial applications.That carefully constructed image is now in ruins.According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, Anthropic's Claude AI was used by the US military during a classified operation to kidnap Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The raid involved bombing across Caracas and killed 83 people, according to Venezuela's defense ministry.The revelation lands like a gut punch. Just two days earlier, Anthropic announced a $30 billion funding round that valued the company at $380 billion, more than double its September valuation. The pitch to investors? Anthropic was different. Safer. More responsible.Nobody mentioned the bombs.The February 14 raid on Caracas was one of the most aggressive US military operations in Latin America in decades. American forces bombed multiple locations across the Venezuelan capital in an attempt to capture Maduro. The operation failed in its primary objective, but succeeded in killing 83 people.According to the Journal's sources, Claude was deployed through Anthropic's partnership with Palantir Technologies, the defense contractor founded by Peter Thiel that has become the Pentagon's preferred AI middleman.Anthropic's acceptable use policy is unambiguous. Claude may not be used for violent ends, weapons development, or surveillance. The company has marketed this stance aggressively, running Super Bowl ads that emphasized its ad-free approach.The disconnect raises uncomfortable questions about how AI companies enforce their ethical guidelines when third-party partnerships are involved.