Seven of the country’s leading artificial intelligence companies have signed agreements with the Department of Defense to deploy their AI tools inside the military’s classified computer networks, a move the Pentagon described as accelerating the transformation of the U.S. armed forces into an “AI-first fighting force.”
The companies — Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, SpaceX, and the startup Reflection AI — agreed to allow their technologies for “lawful operational use” across Impact Level 6 and Impact Level 7 environments. More than 1.3 million Defense Department personnel have already accessed its generative AI platform, GenAI.mil, which provides large language models within government-approved cloud environments.
Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael said it was irresponsible to depend on a single vendor for classified AI access, particularly after a dispute with Anthropic led the Defense Department to label that firm a supply chain risk. Anthropic, previously the sole AI model approved for classified Pentagon systems, had refused to allow its technology to be used without guardrails on fully autonomous weapons and mass surveillance of American citizens. The Pentagon’s designation, ordinarily reserved for firms linked to foreign adversaries, effectively barred Anthropic from federal contracts. That legal fight continues in court.
At least one of the seven companies included human oversight language in its agreement, requiring a person to remain in the decision loop for any AI-driven autonomous or semi-autonomous mission, according to a person familiar with the terms.
For Upstate South Carolina, the expansion intersects directly with the region’s defense-industrial footprint. Milliken & Company, headquartered in Spartanburg, produces tactical fabrics and advanced protection materials for military and defense applications — placing the firm in the defense supply chain being reshaped by AI-driven logistics. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, separately praised Google’s $9 billion AI and cloud infrastructure investment in South Carolina for 2026-2027, describing the state as a “global leader in AI innovation.” Google is among the seven firms now cleared to operate inside Pentagon classified networks.
The Pentagon said military personnel are already applying AI capabilities in real-world scenarios, cutting many tasks from months to days, and that the agreements will give warfighters the tools to act with confidence across all domains of warfare.
