Axios: US intelligence uses Anthropic’s Mythos AI despite Pentagon ban

US intelligence agencies are actively deploying advanced artificial intelligence tools from Anthropic despite a formal Pentagon designation labeling the firm a “supply chain risk,” according to a new report highlighted by Axios.

At the center of the controversy is Anthropic’s Mythos Preview model, which sources say is currently in use at the National Security Agency (NSA). The development exposes a growing divide within the US government over how to balance rapid AI adoption with internal security restrictions.

The Pentagon blacklisted Anthropic earlier in February 2026 after a dispute over AI safeguards and military use, formally warning that its systems posed a potential supply-chain vulnerability. However, intelligence officials appear to be prioritizing Mythos’ capabilities, particularly in cybersecurity, over those concerns.

According to sources, the National Security Agency (NSA) has adopted Mythos, as have other units within the Department. So far, the specifics of the NSA’s use of Mythos are not publicly known, but elsewhere the model is largely being used to scan internal environments for security flaws. The model is considered one of the most advanced AI systems available, with strong “agentic” abilities that allow it to autonomously analyze and exploit complex systems.

Reports of NSA and DOD use come days after insiders said the White House was negotiating access to Anthropic’s Mythos model even as efforts to blacklist the company continued. More recently, CEO Dario Amodei also confirmed that the firm has been in contact with government officials and is open to collaboration. 

Some agencies argue that limiting access to such powerful AI could put the US at a strategic disadvantage, particularly against geopolitical rivals. However, experts warn that the same capabilities that make Mythos valuable for defense could also introduce new risks. Its ability to uncover vulnerabilities at scale could be weaponized if misused, raising concerns about escalation in cyber warfare.

White House officials met with Amodei to discuss Mythos use in government operations 

Only about 40 vetted organizations are permitted to use Mythos. Of the 40 groups, only 12 are publicly known, and the NSA is reportedly tucked away in the unlisted majority. In the U.K., agencies similar to the NSA also noted they have access to the model through their national AI Security Institute. 

Anthropic describes Mythos as remarkably powerful in cybersecurity, capable of spotting deeply embedded bugs and independently exploiting them. This combination of advanced detection and autonomous analysis has already raised both interest and concern among policymakers. 

On Friday, Amodei met with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss how the model can be safely integrated into government infrastructure. Despite the White House’s public friction with Anthropic, this meeting highlights that the model’s power is simply too valuable for federal security needs to pass up. 

Both sides characterized the talks as productive. The White House even shared, “We discussed opportunities for collaboration, as well as shared approaches and protocols to address the challenges associated with scaling this technology.” 

Anthropic filed a lawsuit to counter the supply chain risk designation

Anthropic fired back at the Pentagon in March, filing a lawsuit to overturn the supply chain risk designation that threatened its government contracts. This was the first time the “not secure enough” tag has been pinned on a domestic provider, effectively barring their tools from standard government use. 

Anthropic’s legal team has branded the “risk” designation a revenge tactic after Amodei denied the DoD’s request to integrate the AI into fully autonomous weapons systems and mass domestic surveillance.

As earlier reported by Cryptopolitan, a California district court judge sided with Anthropic and temporarily blocked the “supply chain risk” label. Still, a federal appeals court has since overturned that stay, keeping the designation in place for now. 

In the early days of the blacklist efforts, President Donald Trump had claimed that the radical leftists running the firm were trying to dictate terms to the Defense Department. He argued, “We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again!”

At the moment, some in the DoD still believe Anthropic’s refusal to cooperate fully proves they would unplug their tech during a war, making them a flight risk in combat. However, other administration officials are eager to bury the hatchet just to get their hands on the company’s superior tech. 

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