In Crypto Today, Anthropic CEO Criticizes Pentagon’s Decision As “Unprecedented,” OpenAI Deploys Its AI Models On Pentagon’s Classified Networks Meanwhile, Wall Street giant Morgan Stanley has applied for a bank charter to hold, trade and hold crypto shares on behalf of clients.
Anthropic’s CEO called the Pentagon’s decision “unprecedented.”
Dario Amodei, CEO of AI company Anthropic, responded to the US authorities’ announcement on Friday that the company is a “supply chain risk”.
Anthropic was a key partner of the United States Department of Defense and agreed with all AI use cases proposed by the US defense agency, except for fully autonomous weapons platforms and internal mass surveillance. He told CBS News:
“These are things that are important to Americans: the right not to be spied on by the government, the right of our military officers to make their own decisions about war and not turn it over completely to a machine.”
The announcement by US “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth and the subsequent news that AI rival OpenAI has signed a contract with the US Department of Defense to deploy its own AI models has sparked strong reactions online.
OpenAI wins the defense contract hours after the government lost Anthropic
OpenAI has reached an agreement with the United States Department of Defense to deploy its artificial intelligence models on secret military networks, hours after the White House ordered federal agencies to stop using rival company Anthropic’s technology.
In a keynote at X on Friday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the deal, saying the company will provide its models inside the Pentagon’s “classified network.” He wrote that the department shows a “deep respect for safety” and a willingness to work within the company’s operations.
The announcement comes amid a turbulent week for the AI sector. That same day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled Anthropic a “supply chain threat to national security,” a designation typically applied to foreign adversaries. The order requires defense contractors to certify that they are not using the company’s models.
President Donald Trump also ordered every US federal agency to immediately stop using Anthropic’s technology, with a six-month transition period for agencies already relying on its systems.
Morgan Stanley files for OCC bank charter for crypto holdings
Morgan Stanley has applied for a national trust bank charter that would allow the bank to hold digital assets on behalf of its clients — a move in rhythm with the recent expansion of crypto.
A public filing with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) shows that an application for a bank trust charter was received on February 18 under the name “Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, National Association”.
According to Bloomberg and Forbes, more details of the business plan were released on Friday, according to which the subsidiary of Morgan Stanley will hold certain digital assets and perform purchases, sales, swaps and transfers to support the client’s investment activities along with the crypto rate.
