US Defense Department Signs Deal With Nvidia and Microsoft for Military AI Use

The United States Department of Defense said Friday it has signed agreements with Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Reflection AI that allow deployment of their AI technology and models on classified military networks for lawful operational use.

The new agreements follow earlier deals with Google, SpaceX, and OpenAI.

The Defense Department said the agreements support its effort to establish the US military as an AI-first fighting force.

It added that the technology will help strengthen warfighters’ ability to maintain decision superiority across all areas of warfare.

The latest contracts come as the Pentagon moves to diversify its AI suppliers after a dispute with Anthropic over model usage terms.

The Pentagon sought unrestricted access to Anthropic’s AI systems, while Anthropic requested guardrails to block use of its technology for domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.

The legal dispute remains ongoing. In March, Anthropic won an injunction after the Pentagon moved to classify the company as a supply-chain risk.

The Defense Department said the new AI hardware and models will be used in Impact Level 6 and Impact Level 7 environments.

These are high-security systems used for sensitive data and information considered critical to national security, with strict physical protections, access controls, and audits.

The Pentagon said the systems will be used to streamline data synthesis, improve situational awareness, and support military decision-making.

The department also said more than 1.3 million Defense Department personnel have used its secure generative AI platform, GenAI.mil.

The platform provides access to large language models and other AI tools in approved cloud environments.

It is mainly designed for non-classified work such as research, document drafting, and data analysis.