Washington DC - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei at the Pentagon on Tuesday to discuss the issue of safeguards within the company's artificial intelligence systems.

Anthropic's Claude is the only AI model available for use in the US military's classified systems and is highly capable of conducting defense and intelligence work using sensitive data and materials.

Hegseth is reportedly unhappy, however, about restrictions implemented by Anthropic to limit the use of its software and to introduce safeguards against abuses of power and the use of extreme violence.

Specifically, Anthropic wants to keep safeguards in place that restrict the Department of Defense from using the software to conduct mass surveillance of US citizens and to develop autonomous AI-driven weaponry.

"Anthropic knows this is not a get-to-know-you meeting," a senior Defense official told Axios. "This is not a friendly meeting. This is a s**t-or-get-off-the-pot meeting."

According to the official, Hegseth intends to present Amodei with an ultimatum when they meet on Tuesday, in an attempt to force Anthropic to lift all of the safeguards governing its artificial intelligence systems.

A statement from Anthropic cited by Axios said that while the company is willing to negotiate a general loosening of restrictions, it won't consider any changes to its mass surveillance and automated weapons controls.

Last year, the Department of Defense and Anthropic signed a $200-million pilot contract.

"We are having productive conversations, in good faith," Anthropic's spokesperson said, reiterating that the company "is committed to using frontier AI in support of US national security."