The US Department of Defense reaches cooperation agreement with 7 artificial intelligence companies.

On May 1, the US Department of Defense announced agreements with seven leading artificial intelligence companies aimed at deploying their advanced AI technologies into the Department of Defense's classified networks for lawful military operations. The Pentagon issued a statement on the same day, stating that the Department of Defense has reached agreements with seven cutting-edge AI companies including SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, and NVIDIA. "These agreements accelerate the pace of the US military's transformation into a force prioritizing artificial intelligence and enhance the ability of combatants to maintain decision-making advantages in all areas of combat," the statement said. The statement did not mention another major US artificial intelligence company, Anthropic. In early March, Anthropic was placed on a federal government supply chain risk blacklist for refusing the Department of Defense's unrestricted use of its AI technology. The company then filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense. A federal judge issued a preliminary ruling suspending the relevant ban and finding the Department of Defense's actions unconstitutional. The Department of Defense has appealed the ruling.