Microsoft has assured customers that Anthropic's Claude AI model will remain available through its products, despite the U.S. Department of Defense designating Anthropic as a supply chain risk. The designation, a result of Anthropic refusing to grant the Pentagon unrestricted access for applications like mass surveillance, prohibits the Defense Department and its contractors from using Anthropic's tech for defense-related work.
Microsoft states its legal analysis concludes it can continue offering Claude to its customers, except the Department of Defense, via platforms like Microsoft 365 and GitHub. Anthropic's CEO agrees the designation only restricts direct use in Defense Department contracts, not all usage by organizations that work with the Pentagon.
The main topics covered are Microsoft's commitment to offering Claude, the Defense Department's supply-chain risk designation of Anthropic, and the legal interpretations limiting the designation's scope.
Enterprises and startups that use Anthropic Claude through Microsoft’s products need not fear that the model will be ripped from their reach, Microsoft has confirmed to TechCrunch and other publications.
Microsoft is the first big tech company to offer assurance that Anthropic’s models will remain available to its customers even though the Trump Administration’s Department of War — formally known as the Department of Defense — has escalated its feud with Anthropic.
The Defense Department designated the American AI startup as a supply chain risk after the AI company refused to give it unrestricted access to its tech for applications the company said its AI could not safely support, such as mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons.
The supply-chain risk designation is typically reserved for foreign adversaries. For Anthropic, the designation means that the Pentagon can’t use the company’s products — and also requires any company or agency that works with the Pentagon to certify that they don’t use Anthropic’s models, either. Anthropic has vowed to fight the designation in court.
Microsoft sells an array of products, from Office to its cloud, to many federal agencies including the Defense Department. A Microsoft spokesperson said that the company will continue making Anthropic’s models available within its own products and to Microsoft customers.
“Our lawyers have studied the designation and have concluded that Anthropic products, including Claude, can remain available to our customers — other than the Department of War — through platforms such as M365, GitHub, and Microsoft’s AI Foundry, and that we can continue to work with Anthropic on non-defense related projects,” the spokesperson said in an email. CNBC first reported on the comment.
This echoes what Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in his statement vowing to fight the designation.
Disrupt 2026: The tech ecosystem, all in one room
Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $400.
Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit
1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediately
Offer ends March 13.
“With respect to our customers, it plainly applies only to the use of Claude by customers as a direct part of contracts with the Department of War, not all use of Claude by customers who have such contracts,” Amodei said, adding, “Even for Department of War contractors, the supply chain risk designation doesn’t (and can’t) limit uses of Claude or business relationships with Anthropic if those are unrelated to their specific Department of War contracts.”
In the meantime, Claude’s consumer growth surge has continued after Anthropic refused to give in to the department’s demands.
Meridiano
